Gimbal camera and gimbal

Abstract

A gimbal camera and a gimbal. The gimbal comprises at least one rotating shaft structure (10), each rotating shaft structure (10) comprising a stator (200), a rotor (300), and a locking mechanism. The rotor (300) can rotate relative to the stator (200), and the locking mechanism is configured to lock the rotor (300). When the gimbal camera is switched from a power-on state to a stowed state, the locking mechanism moves linearly from an unlocked position to a locked position so as to lock the rotor (300). When the gimbal camera is switched from the stowed state to the power-on state, the locking mechanism moves linearly from the locked position to the unlocked position so as to unlock the rotor (300).

Description

A gimbal camera and gimbal Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to, but is not limited to, a gimbal camera and a gimbal. Background Technology

[0002] For example, handheld gimbals are usually equipped with locking devices, the purpose of which is to lock the gimbal structure when the device is not in use, so that users can avoid unnecessary movement and damage during carrying. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The following is an overview of the subject matter described in detail in this disclosure. This overview is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0004] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a gimbal camera is provided, the gimbal camera including a gimbal and a shooting device mounted on the gimbal; the gimbal includes at least one rotating structure, each of the rotating structures including:

[0005] stator;

[0006] Rotor, which rotates relative to the stator;

[0007] A locking mechanism configured to lock the rotor;

[0008] When the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the locking mechanism moves from the unlocked position to the locked position to lock the rotor; when the gimbal camera switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the locking mechanism moves from the locked position to the unlocked position to release the lock on the rotor.

[0009] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a gimbal is provided, the gimbal including at least one hinge structure, each of the hinge structures comprising:

[0010] stator;

[0011] Rotor, which rotates relative to the stator;

[0012] A first locking mechanism is configured to lock the rotor and the stator from rotating relative to each other.

[0013] A first driving member is connected to the first locking mechanism in a transmission manner, and the first driving member is used to drive the first locking mechanism to move between a locked position and an unlocked position.

[0014] The triggering unit is capable of outputting a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal is used to control the gimbal camera to enter the storage state, and the second signal is used to control the gimbal camera to enter the power-on state.

[0015] During or after the first driving component drives the first locking mechanism to move from the unlocked position to the locked position, the triggering unit outputs a first signal to cause the gimbal to enter the storage state.

[0016] During or after the first driving element drives the first locking mechanism to move from the locked position to the unlocked position, the triggering unit outputs a second signal to enable the gimbal to enter the power-on state.

[0017] In the gimbal camera and gimbal disclosed herein, when the gimbal switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the locking mechanism can simultaneously unlock the rotor, achieving both power-on and unlocking; and when the gimbal switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the locking mechanism can simultaneously lock the rotor, achieving both locking and retraction, providing users with a one-step operation experience and enhancing the gimbal's product capabilities.

[0018] After reading and understanding the accompanying diagrams and detailed descriptions, the other aspects can be understood. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of these embodiments. In these drawings, similar reference numerals are used to denote similar elements. The drawings described below are some embodiments of the present disclosure, but not all embodiments. Other drawings will be readily available to those skilled in the art based on these drawings without inventive effort.

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0021] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of region A in Figure 1.

[0022] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0023] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0024] Figure 5 is an exploded schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0025] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0026] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0027] Figure 8 is a partial schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to yet another exemplary embodiment.

[0028] Figure 9 is a partial schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to yet another exemplary embodiment.

[0029] Figure 10 is a partial schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to yet another exemplary embodiment.

[0030] Figure 11 is a partial schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to yet another exemplary embodiment.

[0031] Figure 12 is a partial schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0032] Figure 13 is a partial schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0033] Figure 14 is a partial schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0034] Figure 15 is a partial schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0035] Figure 16 is a partial schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0036] Figure 17 is a partial schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0037] Figure 18 is a partial schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to yet another exemplary embodiment.

[0038] Figure 19 is a partial schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to yet another exemplary embodiment.

[0039] Figure 20 is a partial schematic diagram of a gimbal camera according to yet another exemplary embodiment.

[0040] Reference numerals: 10, Rotating shaft structure; 11, Yaw axis rotor; 111, First mating part; 12, Roll shaft structure; 13, Pitch axis structure; 100a, First locking mechanism; 110a, First locking part; 120a, First driving member; 130a, Second locking part; 140a, Second driving member; 150a, First reset member; 160a, Fixed base; 170a, Fixed part; 100b, Second locking mechanism; 110b, Third locking part; 111b, Snap-fit ​​structure; 112b, Connecting structure; 113b First boss; 114b, second boss; 115b, first protruding structure; 116b, second protruding structure; 117b, slot; 120b, third drive unit; 121b, first bending position; 122b, second bending position; 123b, third bending position; 124b, first segment; 125b, second segment; 126b, third segment; 127b, fourth segment; 130b, second reset member; 131b, first end; 132b, second end; 140b, first base; 141b, first limiting groove; 142b, first mounting hole; 150b, first mounting structure; 160b, second mounting structure; 100c, third locking mechanism; 110c, first transmission member; 111c, first limiting part; 112c, second limiting part; 120c, Fourth driving component; 130c, Third reset component; 140c, Fourth locking part; 141c, Locking structure; 142c, Sliding structure; 143c, Elastic component; 144c, Fixed structure; 145c, Fifth reset spring; 150c, Second transmission component; 151c, Sliding plate; 152c, First mating structure; 153c, Second mating structure; 154c, First support part; 155c, Second support part; 160c, Second base; 161c, Third mounting hole; 162c, Second limiting groove; 170c, Cover plate; 171c, First hollow structure; 172c, Second hollow structure; 100d, Fourth locking mechanism; 110d, Fifth locking part; 111d, Locking part body; 112d, Lock tongue structure; 113d. Third mounting structure; 120d, fifth driving component; 130d, fourth reset component; 140d, third base; 150d, locking nut; 200, stator; 201, second mounting hole; 300, rotor; 301, third mating part; 302, fourth mating part; 303, fifth mating part; 20, shooting device; 21, second mating part; 30, handheld mechanism; 31, first storage part; 311, first storage cavity; 312, sliding groove; 32, second storage part; 33, power button. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions of the disclosed embodiments will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this disclosure can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

[0042] To address the problems existing in related technologies, this disclosure provides a gimbal camera and a gimbal. The gimbal camera includes a gimbal and a shooting device mounted on the gimbal. The gimbal includes at least one rotating shaft structure, each rotating shaft structure including a stator, a rotor, and a locking mechanism. The rotor is rotatable relative to the stator. The locking mechanism is configured to lock the rotor. When the gimbal camera switches from a powered-on state to a retracted state, the locking mechanism moves linearly from an unlocked position to a locked position. When the gimbal camera switches from a retracted state to a powered-on state, the locking mechanism moves linearly from the locked position to the unlocked position to release the lock on the rotor. In this disclosure, when the gimbal camera switches from a retracted state to a powered-on state, the locking mechanism can simultaneously release the lock on the rotor, achieving both power-on and unlocking; and when the gimbal camera switches from a powered-on state to a retracted state, the locking mechanism can simultaneously lock the rotor, achieving both locking and retraction. This provides users with a one-step operation experience and enhances the product capabilities of the gimbal camera.

[0043] According to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, as shown in FIG1, this embodiment provides a gimbal camera, which includes a gimbal and a shooting device 20 mounted on the gimbal. The gimbal serves as the carrier of the shooting device 20, which can be a common imaging device or smart terminal in daily life. Imaging devices include cameras, ultrasonic imaging devices, infrared imaging devices, etc., while smart terminals include smartphones, tablets, etc. The gimbal includes at least one pivot structure 10 (described in detail below). The gimbal can change its shape by rotating the pivot structure 10, thereby adjusting the pose of the shooting device 20, providing support and stabilization for the shooting device 20, and reducing or avoiding shaking of the shooting device 20 during shooting. In one example, referring to FIG1, the gimbal includes three pivot structures 10 and a handheld mechanism 30. The three pivot structures 10 allow the shooting device 20 to adjust its pose arbitrarily in three-dimensional space, and the handheld mechanism 30 is for the user to hold. During use, the user holds the handheld mechanism 30, which extends approximately vertically. This embodiment will describe the posture of the handheld shooting device 20 in different modes based on the state of the handheld mechanism 30 extending vertically. Specifically, the gimbal camera includes multiple states, including at least a powered-on state and a retracted state. The powered-on state means that the gimbal camera starts after receiving a power-on command, and the shooting device 20 begins to capture images, but at this time the gimbal camera does not initiate any shooting commands. The retracted state includes one or both of the following: a powered-off state and a standby state. The powered-off state means that the gimbal camera is in a power-off state, and the standby state means that the gimbal camera control module is powered on, but other power-consuming components such as the lens are in a power-off state, which is the usual sense of a dormant state. Entering the dormant state is to facilitate the quick start of the gimbal camera.

[0044] As shown in Figures 1 and 8, each rotating shaft structure 10 includes a stator 200, a rotor 300, and a locking mechanism. The rotor 300 is configured to rotate relative to the stator 200, and the locking mechanism is configured to lock the rotor 300. When the rotor 300 is locked by the locking mechanism, the rotor 300 cannot continue to rotate relative to the stator 200. It can be understood that when the rotors 300 of all rotating shaft structures 10 in the gimbal are locked, the shooting device 20 will be fixed. In one example, referring to Figures 8 to 20, the locking mechanism is integrated into the stator 200 and the rotor 300. For example, the locking mechanism is located on the stator 200, and the rotor 300 has a mating part (described in detail later). When the locking mechanism located on the stator 200 moves linearly to the mating part on the rotor 300, it can lock the rotor 300. In another example, referring to Figure 4, the locking mechanism can be directly connected to the shooting device 20, thereby restricting the rotation of the rotor 300 and the shooting device 20 around the stator 200.

[0045] In this embodiment, when the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the locking mechanism can move linearly from the unlocked position to the locked position to lock the rotor 300. The locked rotor 300 cannot rotate relative to the stator 200 before being unlocked. When the gimbal camera switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the locking mechanism can move linearly from the locked position to the unlocked position to unlock the rotor 300. That is, the gimbal camera provided in this embodiment has the function of simultaneously unlocking the rotor 300 when powered on and simultaneously locking the rotor 300 when retracted. It should be noted that the powered-on state means that the shooting device 20 is in the working state of shooting images, and the retracted state means that the shooting device 20 is in the idle state of not shooting images, such as the shooting device 20 being in the powered-off state or standby state. Of course, this does not limit the technical solution of this disclosure. In some optional embodiments, the user can adjust the standby state to the powered-on state according to personal user experience or usage needs. That is, the gimbal camera does not lock the rotating shaft structure 10 in the standby state.

[0046] The gimbal camera provided in this embodiment can achieve simultaneous unlocking of the rotor 300 upon power-on and simultaneous locking of the rotor 300 upon storage through various methods. In one example, the gimbal camera includes a function key for performing locking and unlocking operations. This function key is configured to be coupled with the power-on / off function of the gimbal camera. When the user manually performs an unlocking operation, a power-on signal is automatically triggered to put the gimbal camera into the power-on state; when the user manually performs a locking operation, a storage signal is automatically triggered to put the gimbal camera into the storage state. In another example, the gimbal camera includes a power button for performing power-on and power-off operations. This power button is configured to be coupled with the unlocking and locking functions of the gimbal camera. When the user manually performs a power-on operation, an unlocking signal is automatically triggered to unlock the locking mechanism; when the user manually performs a power-off operation, a locking signal is automatically triggered to lock the rotor. In another embodiment, the locking mechanism has a driving component that operates when energized. The driving component has different shapes (e.g., changes in length when energized) and properties (e.g., generates magnetism when energized) before and after energization, so that the driving component can drive the locking part to move to the unlocking position. For example, the driving component can be set to be energized when the gimbal camera is turned on and de-energized when stored, so that the rotor 300 can be unlocked synchronously when the camera is turned on and locked synchronously when stored.

[0047] It is understood that the solutions for synchronously locking the rotor upon power-on and upon storage in this application are not limited to the solutions mentioned above. Any method that can couple the power-on signal and the storage signal with the corresponding unlocking signal and locking signal to achieve "synchronous locking of rotor 300 upon power-on and synchronous locking of rotor 300 upon storage" is included in the embodiments of this application.

[0048] The locking mechanism can move between the locked and unlocked positions along a straight line. The direction of the linear movement can be parallel to the axial direction of the rotation axis of the rotor 300, or it can be along the radial direction of the rotation axis; this embodiment does not impose any limitations. Linear movement has a shorter movement path, which helps to reduce the space occupied by the locking mechanism and also helps to improve the unlocking and locking speeds.

[0049] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, when the gimbal camera switches from the storage state to the power-on state, the locking mechanism can simultaneously unlock the rotor 300, realizing power-on and unlocking; and when the gimbal camera switches from the power-on state to the storage state, the locking mechanism can simultaneously lock the rotor 300, realizing locking and storage, giving users a one-step operation experience and enhancing the product capabilities of the gimbal camera.

[0050] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the gimbal camera includes a handheld mechanism 30, which can be held by a user.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5, the pivot structure 10 includes a roll axis structure 12 and a pitch axis structure 13 connected in sequence. The shooting device 20 can rotate around the first axis m under the drive of the pitch axis structure 13, and the shooting device 20 can rotate around the second axis n under the drive of the roll axis structure 12. The shooting device 20 of the gimbal camera is a precision structure in the gimbal camera. The gimbal camera provided in this embodiment can adjust the shooting device 20 to a preset posture in the retracted state according to the shape of the mounted shooting device 20, so as to provide effective protection for the shooting device 20. In one example, when the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the roll axis structure 12 can drive the shooting device 20 to rotate around the second axis n, so that the first axis m is consistent with the extension direction of the handheld mechanism 30, so that the gimbal camera is elongated in the retracted state, avoiding excessive protrusion of the shooting device 20 and increasing the probability of collision between the shooting device 20 and the external structure. When the gimbal camera switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the roll axis structure 12 can drive the shooting device 20 to rotate around the second axis n, so that the first axis m is perpendicular to the extension direction of the handheld mechanism 30. In this embodiment, the size of the shooting device 20 on the first axis m is not specifically limited, and can be flexibly adjusted according to actual needs, as long as the probability of the shooting device 20 directly contacting the outside in the retracted state can be reduced.

[0052] When the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the pitch axis structure 13 can drive the shooting device 20 to rotate around the first axis so that the lens (i.e., the optical axis direction) of the shooting device 20 faces the arm of the roll axis structure 12, so as to provide protection for the lens of the shooting device 20 through the arm of the roll axis structure 12 (referred to as the roll axis arm).

[0053] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG1, this embodiment provides a gimbal camera, which includes a gimbal and a shooting device 20 mounted on the gimbal. The gimbal includes at least one rotating shaft structure 10. Each rotating shaft structure 10 includes a stator 200, a rotor 300 and a locking mechanism. The rotor 300 is rotatable relative to the stator 200. The locking mechanism is configured to lock the rotor 300. When the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the locking mechanism moves linearly from the unlocked position to the locked position. When the gimbal camera switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the locking mechanism moves linearly from the locked position to the unlocked position to release the lock on the rotor 300.

[0054] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the locking mechanism includes a first locking mechanism 100a, which includes a first locking part 110a. The rotor 300 is provided with a first engaging part 111 that can cooperate with the first locking part 110a. When the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the first locking part 110a moves along a first direction from a first position (i.e., the unlocked position) to a second position (i.e., the locked position) to connect with the first engaging part 111, thereby locking the rotor 300. When the gimbal camera switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the first locking part 110a can move along the opposite direction of the first direction (i.e., the second direction) from the second position to the first position to separate from the first engaging part 111, thereby releasing the lock on the rotor 300.

[0055] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the gimbal camera includes a handheld mechanism 30, which is held by a user. The handheld mechanism 30 is typically configured to extend along the z-direction shown in Figure 3, allowing multiple fingers of the user to contact the outer periphery of the handheld mechanism 30, ensuring reliable grip. In this embodiment, the extension direction of the handheld mechanism 30 is consistent with the direction of the line connecting the first and second positions; that is, both the first and second directions are parallel to the extension direction of the handheld mechanism 30. It is understood that setting the movement direction of the first locking part 110a parallel to the extension direction of the handheld mechanism 30 better suits the user's gripping habits, improving the product's operability.

[0056] As shown in Figures 1 and 8, the pivot structure 10 also includes a yaw axis structure, which includes a yaw axis stator 200 and a yaw axis rotor 11 rotatably connected. The yaw axis stator 200 (also known as the gimbal base) is connected to the handheld mechanism 30. The rotation axis of the yaw axis rotor 11 is parallel to the extension direction of the handheld mechanism 30. A first locking part 110a is provided on the handheld mechanism 30, and a first mating part 111 is provided on the yaw axis rotor 11. The first locking part 110a can move relative to the handheld mechanism 30 in a first direction (the z direction shown in Figure 3) to connect with the first mating part 111, thereby restricting the rotation of the yaw axis rotor 11 relative to the yaw axis stator 200. In one example, referring to Figure 2, the first locking part 110a is configured as a pin structure. The surface of the yaw axis rotor 11 facing the hand-held mechanism 30 is recessed in the first direction (the opposite of the z-direction shown in Figure 3) to form the first mating part 111. When the user needs to turn off the device, the yaw axis rotor 11 rotates until the first locking part 110a is directly opposite the first mating part 111. By controlling the first locking part 110a to move along the first direction to the second position, it can be connected with the first mating part 111, thereby locking the yaw axis rotor 11.

[0057] By employing any one or a combination of the following methods, the first locking part 110a can be moved to the unlocked position (i.e., the first position).

[0058] In an optional embodiment, as shown in FIG2, the first locking mechanism 100a includes a first driving member 120a, which is convexly connected to the first locking part 110a. The first driving member 120a is slidably disposed on the handheld mechanism 30. The first driving member 120a is movable between a third position and a fourth position to drive the first locking part 110a to move between the first position and the second position. The line connecting the third position and the fourth position can be parallel to the extension direction of the handheld mechanism 30 (the z-direction shown in FIG3). For example, referring to FIG2, the first locking part 110a is configured as a pin structure, and the first driving member 120a is configured as a lever connected to the outer wall surface of the pin structure (e.g., integrally formed). The user can move the first driving member 120a, which transmits force to the first locking part 110a, causing the first locking part 110a to slide along a first direction, thereby moving from the locked position to the unlocked position. Meanwhile, the sliding process of the first driving component 120a will trigger the power-on or power-off function, thereby realizing simultaneous power-on when unlocking and simultaneous storage when locking.

[0059] In another alternative embodiment, referring to FIG2, the first locking mechanism 100a includes a first driving member 120a and a trigger unit (not shown in the figures). The first driving member 120a or the first locking part 110a can cooperate with the trigger unit to output a first signal or a second signal to the control unit of the gimbal camera. The control unit can control the gimbal camera to enter the storage state according to the first signal, and the control unit can control the gimbal camera to enter the power-on state according to the second signal. For example, referring to FIG2 and FIG3, during the process of the first driving member 120a moving from the third position to the fourth position, the relative positions of the first driving member 120a and the first locking part 110a with the trigger unit change. For example, when the distance between the first driving member 120a or the first locking part 110a and the trigger unit is less than a preset threshold, the trigger unit can send a first signal to cause the gimbal camera to enter the storage state. During the process of the first driving member 120a moving in the reverse direction from the fourth position to the third position, when the distance between the first driving member 120a or the first locking part 110a and the trigger unit is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the trigger unit can send a second signal to make the gimbal camera enter the power-on state.

[0060] The triggering unit includes, but is not limited to, microswitches, Hall sensors, capacitive sensors, and photoelectric sensors.

[0061] As shown in Figure 2, the handheld mechanism 30 is provided with a first storage portion 31, which defines a first storage cavity 311 for mounting the first locking portion 110a. The extension direction of the first storage cavity 311 is parallel to a first direction (the z-direction shown in Figure 3). The first locking portion 110a is slidably disposed within the first storage cavity 311, with a first position located inside the first storage cavity 311 and a second position located outside the first storage cavity 311. For ease of explanation of the technical solution of this disclosure, the position of the end of the first locking portion 110a used to connect with the first mating portion 111 can be taken as the position of the first locking portion 110a. When the first locking portion 110a moves to the second position to connect with the first mating portion 111, the second position is located outside the first storage cavity 311. When the first locking portion 110a moves to the first position to separate from the first mating portion 111, the first position is located inside the first storage cavity 311. In this embodiment, by providing a first storage part 31 in the handheld mechanism 30, the first storage part 31 can provide installation space for the first locking part 110a, and can also completely store the first locking part 110a in the unlocked state, so as to avoid some of the first locking part 110a protruding from the surface of the gimbal camera during the use of the gimbal camera, resulting in a low appearance refinement, thereby improving the product competitiveness of the gimbal camera.

[0062] Referring to Figure 2, the first storage part 31 also defines a sliding groove 312, which is connected to the first storage cavity 311. The first driving member 120a is disposed in the sliding groove 312 and forms a sliding connection. By setting the sliding groove 312, the first driving member 120a can be connected to the first locking part 110a and is also convenient for the user to contact for toggling operation.

[0063] Referring to Figure 2, the first locking mechanism 100a further includes a limiting mechanism. This limiting mechanism can limit the movement of the first locking part 110a or the first driving member 120a to the unlocked or locked position. For example, it can be used to prevent the first locking part 110a from moving to the locked position after unlocking. The limiting mechanism includes, but is not limited to, an elastic latch. In one example, the limiting mechanism includes a first limiting structure. The first limiting mechanism provides force to the first locking part 110a. When the first locking part 110a moves to the first position, the first limiting mechanism holds the first locking part 110a in the first position. When the first locking part 110a moves to the second position, the first limiting mechanism holds the first locking part 110a in the second position. In another example, the limiting mechanism also includes a second limiting mechanism for providing force to the first driving member 120a. When the first driving member 120a moves to the third position, the second limiting mechanism holds the first driving member 120a in the third position, and when the first driving member 120a moves to the fourth position, the second limiting mechanism holds the first driving member 120a in the fourth position.

[0064] According to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, as shown in FIG1, this embodiment provides a gimbal, which includes at least one rotating shaft structure 10. Each rotating shaft structure 10 includes a stator, a rotor, and a first locking mechanism 100a. The first locking mechanism 100a is configured to lock the rotor and the stator to prevent the rotor from rotating relative to the stator in a specific scenario. In a specific scenario, such as when the gimbal is in a stored state, locking the rotor 300 by the first locking mechanism 100a can prevent the gimbal and the shooting device 20 mounted on the gimbal from shaking, which is beneficial for storage. The stator, rotor, and first locking mechanism 100a have been explained and described in the foregoing embodiments of this disclosure, and will not be repeated here.

[0065] As shown in Figure 1, the gimbal also includes a first driving component 120a, which is convexly connected to a first locking mechanism 100a. The first driving component 120a can drive the first locking mechanism 100a to move between an unlocked position (i.e., the first position) and a locked position (i.e., the second position) to unlock or lock the rotor. The first driving component has been explained in the foregoing embodiments of this disclosure and will not be repeated here.

[0066] Referring to Figure 1, the gimbal also includes a trigger unit (not shown in the figure). The trigger unit is configured to output a first signal or a second signal. The first signal enables the gimbal or the gimbal camera using the gimbal provided in this embodiment to enter a retractable state, and the second signal enables the gimbal or the gimbal camera to enter a power-on state. It should be noted that the retractable state can include a power-off state and a standby state.

[0067] In this embodiment, the gimbal provides a first driving component and a triggering unit that work together to automatically retract the gimbal when locked and automatically unlock it when powered on. For example, when the first driving component drives the first locking mechanism from the unlocked position to the locked position, or after the first driving component drives the first locking mechanism to the locked position, the first driving component can interact with the triggering unit and cause the triggering unit to output a first signal, so that the gimbal enters the retracted state. Or, for example, when the first driving component drives the first locking mechanism from the locked position to the unlocked position, or after the first driving component drives the first locking mechanism to the unlocked position, the first driving component can interact with the triggering unit and cause the triggering unit to output a second signal, so that the gimbal enters the powered-on state.

[0068] It should be noted that the timing of the trigger unit issuing the first or second signal can be adaptively set according to actual needs. For example, it can be set so that the trigger unit only outputs the first signal to put the gimbal into the retracted state after the first driving component drives the first locking mechanism from the unlocked position to the locked position. If the user accidentally moves the first locking mechanism towards the locked position, the user can cancel the previously input locking command to the first driving component during the process of the first locking mechanism moving from the unlocked position to the locked position (i.e., before the trigger unit outputs the first signal), thereby preventing the trigger unit from issuing the first signal in time, thus reducing the risk of the gimbal and the shooting device mounted on the gimbal entering the retracted state due to accidental operation. Alternatively, it can be set so that the trigger unit outputs the second signal to put the gimbal and the shooting device into the power-on state during the process of the first driving component driving the first locking mechanism from the locked position to the unlocked position. This setting allows unlocking and power-on to occur simultaneously, enabling the gimbal and the shooting device mounted on the gimbal to enter the usable state earlier, preventing the user from missing important shooting opportunities due to slow power-on speed. Other implementation schemes will not be elaborated further here.

[0069] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the gimbal includes a handheld mechanism 30, and the pivot structure 10 includes a roll axis structure and a pitch axis structure connected in sequence. The pitch axis structure is used to connect to the shooting device 20. The shooting device 20 can rotate around a first axis m under the driving action of the pitch axis structure, and the shooting device 20 can rotate around a second axis n under the driving action of the roll axis structure. Specifically, when the gimbal switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the roll axis structure is configured to drive the shooting device 20 to rotate around the second axis n until the first axis m is aligned with the extension direction of the handheld mechanism 30 (the z-direction shown in FIG3); when the gimbal switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the roll axis structure is configured to drive the shooting device 20 to rotate around the second axis n until the first axis m is perpendicular to the extension direction of the handheld mechanism. The handheld mechanism, roll axis structure, pitch axis structure, first axis, and second axis have been explained and described in the foregoing embodiments of this disclosure, and will not be repeated here.

[0070] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, when the gimbal switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the pitch axis structure is configured to drive the shooting device 20 to rotate around the first axis m, so that the lens of the shooting device 20 faces the axis arm of the roll axis structure.

[0071] As shown in Figure 1, the pivot structure 10 includes a pitch axis structure, a roll axis structure, and a yaw axis structure connected in sequence. The yaw axis structure is connected to the handheld mechanism 30. The first locking mechanism 100a is configured to lock at least one of the pitch axis structure, roll axis structure, and yaw axis structure. When the gimbal switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, at least one pivot structure rotates to the retracted angle; when the gimbal switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, at least one pivot structure rotates to the powered-on angle.

[0072] It is understandable that the storage angle is the angle of each rotating structure when the gimbal is in the storage state, and the power-on angle is the angle of each rotating structure when the gimbal is in the power-on state.

[0073] In some embodiments (not shown in the figures), the first locking mechanism is configured to lock the pitch axis structure. The first drive member of the first locking mechanism may be slidably disposed on the arm of the roll axis structure or on the arm of the pitch axis structure, depending on actual needs, without further limitation.

[0074] In other embodiments (not shown in the figures), the first locking mechanism is configured to lock the roll axis structure. The first drive member of the first locking mechanism can be slidably disposed on the arm of the yaw axis structure, the arm of the pitch axis structure, or the arm of the roll axis structure, depending on actual needs.

[0075] In some other embodiments, referring to Figures 1 and 3, the first locking mechanism 100a is configured to lock the yaw axis structure. The first drive element of the first locking mechanism can be located on the handheld mechanism, on the arm of the roll axis structure, or on the arm of the yaw axis structure, depending on actual needs.

[0076] The rotating shaft structure includes a motor, which is located at the connection point of two adjacent rotating shaft structures 10. The motor can output torque to drive the two connected rotating shaft structures 10 to rotate relative to each other, thereby adjusting the shape of the gimbal and adjusting the position of the shooting device 20 connected to the gimbal. For example, when the handheld mechanism of the gimbal shakes, multiple motors can rotate to change the attitude of the gimbal, ensuring that the position of the gimbal connected to the shooting device remains unchanged, thereby keeping the shooting device 20 in a constant position and thus realizing the gimbal's stabilization and anti-shake function.

[0077] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG1, this embodiment provides a gimbal camera, which includes a gimbal and a shooting device 20 mounted on the gimbal. The gimbal includes at least one rotating shaft structure 10. Each rotating shaft structure 10 includes a stator 200, a rotor 300 and a locking mechanism. The rotor 300 is rotatable relative to the stator 200. The locking mechanism is configured to lock the rotor 300. When the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the locking mechanism moves linearly from the unlocked position to the locked position. When the gimbal camera switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the locking mechanism moves linearly from the locked position to the unlocked position to release the lock on the rotor 300.

[0078] The gimbal camera provided in this embodiment can include various structures of the gimbal camera provided in any of the foregoing embodiments. For example, referring to Figures 1 to 7, the locking mechanism includes a first locking mechanism 100a, which includes a first locking part 110a. The rotor 300 is provided with a first mating part 111 that mates with a first mating part 111. The unlocking position includes a first position, and the locking position includes a second position. When the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the first locking part 110a moves from the first position to the second position along a first direction to connect with the first mating part 111, thereby locking the rotor 300. When the gimbal camera switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the first locking part 110a can move from the second position to the first position along the opposite direction of the first direction (i.e., the second direction) to separate from the first mating part 111 and release the lock on the rotor 300. Referring to Figure 5, the rotating shaft structure 10 also includes a yaw axis structure, which includes a yaw axis stator 200 and a yaw axis rotor 11 that are rotatably connected. The yaw axis stator 200 is connected to the handheld mechanism 30 of the gimbal camera. A first locking part 110a is provided on the handheld mechanism 30, and a first mating part 111 is provided on the yaw axis rotor 11.

[0079] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5-7, the first locking mechanism 100a further includes a second locking part 130a. The shooting device 20 is provided with a second mating part 21 for cooperating with the second locking part 130a. The second locking part 130a can move along a straight line between a fifth position (i.e., the unlocked position) and a sixth position (i.e., the locked position). When the second locking part 130a moves to the fifth position, it can separate from the second mating part 21. When the second locking part 130a moves to the sixth position, it can connect with the second mating part 21. For example, referring to Figure 5, when the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the first locking part 110a moves from the first position to the second position along the first direction (the z-direction shown in Figure 4) to connect with the first mating part 111, thereby locking the yaw axis rotor 11 of the yaw axis structure. At the same time, the second locking part 130a can also move from the fifth position to the sixth position along the first direction to connect with the second mating part 21, thereby locking the shooting device 20. When the gimbal camera switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the first locking part 110a can move from the second position to the first position in the opposite direction of the first direction (i.e., the second direction) to separate from the first mating part 111 and thus release the lock on the rotor 300. At the same time, the second locking part 130a can move from the sixth position to the fifth position in the second direction to separate from the second mating part 21 and thus release the lock on the shooting device 20.

[0080] It is understood that in the technical solution provided in this embodiment, the second locking part 130a can be directly connected to the shooting device 20, thereby directly locking the shooting device 20 in a preset posture, which can significantly reduce the number of parts in the locking mechanism. In the gimbal camera provided in this embodiment, the first locking part 110a and the second locking part 130a can simultaneously lock the three rotating axes of the gimbal camera synchronously, reducing the cost of the locking structure.

[0081] Referring to Figures 5 and 7, the first locking part 110a and the second locking part 130a are arranged side by side, and the length of the second locking part 130a is greater than the length of the first locking part 110a. In one example, both the first locking part 110a and the second locking part 130a are pin structures. The first mating part 111 is formed by a groove or through hole on the surface of the yaw axis rotor 11, and the second mating part 21 is formed by a groove or through hole on the surface of the imaging device 20 housing. The pin structure can extend into the groove or through hole. In this embodiment, by arranging the first locking part 110a and the second locking part 130a side by side, and the length of the second locking part 130a is greater than the length of the first locking part 110a, it is possible to drive the first locking part 110a and the second locking part 130a simultaneously in the first direction using only a single driving member (the second driving member 140a, which is described in detail later).

[0082] Referring again to Figures 5-6, the first locking mechanism 100a also includes a fixing seat 160a, which is used to connect the first locking part 110a and the second locking part 130a. The first locking part 110a, the second locking part 130a and the fixing seat 160a can be an integral structure, thereby simplifying the first locking mechanism 100a and improving assembly efficiency.

[0083] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first locking mechanism 100a further includes a second driving member 140a and a first reset member 150a. The second driving member 140a and the first reset member 150a are configured to be connected in a transmission manner with the first locking part 110a and the second locking part 130a, so as to drive the first locking part 110a and the second locking part 130a to move between the unlocked position and the locked position.

[0084] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 5 and 6, the second drive member 140a includes a first shape memory alloy wire, and the first reset member 150a includes a first reset spring. The first reset spring is always able to provide force to the first locking portion 110a and the second locking portion 130a along a first direction. The second drive member 140a only provides force to the first locking portion 110a and the second locking portion 130a along a second direction when energized. The second drive member 140a is able to change shape (e.g., become longer or shorter) when energized to provide driving force. For example, referring to FIG6, when the gimbal camera switches from the power-on state to the storage state, the first reset member 150a in the compressed state drives the first locking part 110a to move from the first position to the second position along the first direction (the z direction shown in FIG6) through the elastic restoring force, so that the first locking part 110a is connected with the first mating part 111 to lock the yaw axis rotor 11 of the yaw axis structure. At the same time, the first reset member 150a can also drive the second locking part 130a to move from the fifth position to the sixth position along the first direction, so that the second locking part 130a is connected with the second mating part 21 on the shooting device 20 to lock the shooting device 20. Referring to Figure 6, when the gimbal camera switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the second drive member 140a is energized, causing a change in shape. This allows the second drive member 140a to drive the first locking part 110a to move from the second position to the first position along the second direction (the opposite of the z-direction shown in Figure 6), thereby separating the first locking part 110a from the first mating part 111 and unlocking the yaw axis rotor 11. Simultaneously, the second drive member 140a can also drive the second locking part 130a to move from the fifth position to the sixth position along the stacking direction, thereby separating the second drive member 140a from the second mating part 21 on the shooting device 20 and releasing the lock on the shooting device 20.

[0085] In other embodiments (not shown in the figures), the second driving member includes a first shape memory alloy wire, and the first reset member includes a second shape memory alloy wire. The first reset member is capable of providing force to the first locking portion and the second locking portion along a second direction, and the second driving member is capable of providing force to the first locking portion and the second locking portion along a first direction. The first shape memory alloy wire may have the same structure as the first shape memory alloy wire in the aforementioned embodiments, and will not be described again here. The second shape memory alloy wire may be arranged side by side with the first shape memory alloy wire, as long as the second shape memory alloy wire can provide a force opposite to that of the first shape memory alloy wire, without further limitations.

[0086] Understandably, shape memory alloys (SMA) are alloy materials that undergo elastic deformation within a certain temperature range and can eliminate elastic deformation within another temperature range.

[0087] As shown in Figure 5, the handheld mechanism 30 is provided with a second storage part 32, which defines a second storage cavity. The first locking part 110a and the second locking part 130a are both slidably disposed within the second storage cavity. To facilitate the explanation of the technical solution of this disclosure, the position of the end of the first locking part 110a that is connected to the first mating part 111 can be taken as the position of the first locking part 110a. When the first locking part 110a moves to connect with the first mating part 111, the end of the first locking part 110a moves to the outside of the second storage cavity, that is, the second position is located outside the second storage cavity. When the first locking part 110a moves to separate from the first mating part 111, the first position is located inside the second storage cavity. Furthermore, the position of the end of the second locking part 130a that connects to the second mating part 21 can be taken as the position of the second locking part 130a. When the second locking part 130a moves to connect with the second mating part 21, the end of the second locking part 130a moves to the outside of the second storage cavity, that is, the sixth position is located outside the second storage cavity. When the second locking part 130a moves to separate from the second mating part 21, the fifth position is located inside the second storage cavity. In this embodiment, by providing a second storage part 32 in the handheld mechanism 30, the second storage part 32 can provide installation space for the first locking part 110a and the second locking part 130a, and can also completely store the first locking part 110a and the second locking part 130a in the unlocked state. This avoids the first locking part 110a and the second locking part 130a protruding from the surface of the gimbal camera during use, resulting in a less refined appearance, thereby improving the product competitiveness of the gimbal camera.

[0088] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, the second receiving portion 32 further defines a first mounting groove, and the second driving member 140a is disposed in the first mounting groove. A fixing seat 160a is provided in the first mounting groove, and the fixing seat 160a is used to fix one end of the second driving member 140a away from the second locking portion 130a.

[0089] In one example, referring to Figure 7, the first mounting groove is configured as a strip extending along the z-direction, and the second drive member 140a is configured as a column, and the length of the second drive member 140a in the extension direction (z-direction shown in Figure 7) can be changed by energizing it. The first reset member 150a can be made of a compression spring, and the first reset member 150a can be sleeved on the outside of the second drive member 140a, or the first reset member 150a can be disposed in the second mounting groove defined by the second storage part 32, with the second mounting groove arranged side by side with the first mounting groove. In some alternative embodiments, the second storage part 32 defines two second mounting grooves, which are disposed on both sides of the first mounting groove. Each second mounting groove is provided with a first reset member 150a. By providing two symmetrical first reset members 150a, the force on the first locking part 110a and the second locking part 130a is balanced, avoiding friction between the first locking part 110a and the second locking part 130a and the housing of the handheld mechanism 30 due to the imbalance of force on the first locking part 110a and the second locking part 130a, which would affect the service life.

[0090] In another embodiment, referring to FIG7, the first locking mechanism 100a further includes a fixing part 170a, and the end of the first locking part 110a away from the first mating part 111 and the end of the second locking part 130a away from the second mating part 21 are connected to the fixing part 170a, wherein the second driving member 140a and the first resetting member 150a are connected to the fixing part 170a.

[0091] In another example (not shown in the figure), the first mounting groove is provided with two fixed positions, the second driving member is configured as a bent filament, the two ends of the second driving member are respectively connected to the two fixed positions of the first mounting groove, the bent position of the second driving member is connected to the fixed part and is located between the first locking part and the second locking part, so that the second driving member can be limited by the first locking part and the second locking part.

[0092] In another embodiment, referring to Figure 5, the gimbal camera also includes a power button 33 and a controller. When the user performs a power-on operation using the power button 33, the gimbal camera sends an unlock command to the first locking mechanism 100a through the controller, causing the locking mechanism 100a to move linearly from the unlocked position to the locked position. When the user performs a linear power-off operation using the power button 33, the gimbal camera sends a lock command to the first locking mechanism 100a through the controller, causing the locking mechanism 100a to move linearly from the locked position to the unlocked position. Simultaneously, when the gimbal camera remains powered on, if the user does not operate the gimbal camera for a period of time, the gimbal camera will enter a standby state. At this time, the gimbal camera sends an unlock command to the first locking mechanism 100a through the controller, causing the first locking mechanism 100a to move linearly from the unlocked position to the locked position.

[0093] According to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, as shown in FIG1, this embodiment provides a gimbal camera, which includes a gimbal and a shooting device 20 mounted on the gimbal. The gimbal includes at least one rotating shaft structure 10. Each rotating shaft structure 10 includes a stator 200, a rotor 300 and a locking mechanism. The rotor 300 is rotatable relative to the stator 200. The locking mechanism is configured to lock the rotor 300. When the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the locking mechanism moves linearly from the unlocked position to the locked position. When the gimbal camera switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the locking mechanism moves linearly from the locked position to the unlocked position to release the lock on the rotor 300.

[0094] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG8, the locking mechanism includes a second locking mechanism 100b, which is disposed on one of the stator 200 and the rotor 300. The other of the stator 200 and the rotor 300 is provided with a third mating part 301, which can cooperate with the second locking mechanism 100b to lock the rotor 300 and the stator 200.

[0095] As shown in Figure 8, the second locking mechanism 100b includes a third locking part 110b, a third driving member 120b, and a second resetting member 130b. Both the third driving member 120b and the second resetting member 130b are pulsatorically connected to the third locking part 110b. The third driving member 120b and the second resetting member 130b can drive the third locking part 110b to move in opposite directions, so that the third locking part 110b moves between a seventh position and an eighth position. One of the seventh position and the eighth position is the locked position, and the other is the unlocked position.

[0096] For example, referring to Figures 8, 10, and 11, the seventh position is the locked position (see Figure 10), and the eighth position is the unlocked position (see Figure 11). The third driving member 120b can drive the third locking part 110b to move from the seventh position to the eighth position along a third direction (the opposite of the x-direction shown in Figure 8), and the second reset member 130b can drive the third locking part 110b to move from the eighth position to the seventh position along a fourth direction (the x-direction shown in Figure 8). As can be seen, when the force provided by the third driving member 120b is less than the force provided by the second reset member 130b, the second reset member 130b can drive the third locking part 110b to move along the fourth direction and keep the third locking part 110b in the locked position. When the force provided by the third driving member 120b is greater than the force provided by the second reset member 130b, the third driving member 120b can drive the third locking part 110b to move along a third direction and keep the third locking part 110b in the unlocked position. In some alternative embodiments (not shown in the figures), the seventh position can be the unlocked position and the eighth position can be the locked position, so that the third driving member 120b provides a locking force to the third locking part 110b and the second reset member 130b provides an unlocking force to the third locking part 110b, which will not be described in detail here.

[0097] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 8 to 11, a second locking mechanism 100b is shown applied to an outer rotor 300 motor. The outer rotor 300 motor includes an outer rotor 300 and an inner stator 200. The second locking mechanism 100b is disposed on the inner stator 200. The outer rotor 300 is provided with a third mating portion 301 (described in detail below) for connection with the second locking mechanism 100b. The third locking portion 110b of the second locking mechanism 100b can move in the radial direction of the stator 200 to connect or disconnect with the third mating portion 301. For example, the second reset member 130b provides a driving force to the third locking portion 110b, causing the third locking portion 110b to move outward in a third direction of the inner stator 200 to a seventh position to connect with the third mating portion 301, thereby restricting the relative rotation between the outer rotor 300 and the inner stator 200. It should be noted that the third direction is opposite to the fourth direction. The third direction can be the radial direction of the inner stator 200 (the third direction is perpendicular to the axial direction of the stator 200). In some optional embodiments, the third direction can also have a certain angle with the radial direction of the inner stator 200 (that is, the third direction forms an acute angle with the axial direction of the stator 200). This disclosure does not limit this further.

[0098] In other embodiments (not shown in the figures), a locking mechanism can be applied to an inner rotor 300 motor. The locking mechanism is disposed on the outer stator, and the inner rotor 300 is provided with a mating part. The locking part can move inward along the radial direction of the stator to connect with the mating part, thereby restricting the inner rotor 300 of the motor from rotating around the outer stator.

[0099] As shown in Figure 8, the second reset member 130b of the second locking mechanism 100b includes an elastic member, such as a spring, a metal sheet, or a rubber block. Referring to Figures 8, 10, and 11, the elastic deformation direction of the second reset member 130b is parallel to the third or fourth direction. On the one hand, this arrangement avoids the elastic member generating a component force with an angle to the third direction, which would weaken the elastic force and ensure the strength of the elastic member's force. This allows for sufficient reset force even with a smaller second reset member 130b. By reducing the space occupied by the second reset member 130b in the second locking mechanism 100b, the overall volume of the second locking mechanism 100b can be reduced. On the other hand, this arrangement ensures that the second reset member 130b is only subjected to a force parallel to the deformation direction, which helps to extend the service life of the second reset member 130b. Furthermore, the second reset member 130b can be fixed without additional connecting means (for example, the second reset member 130b can be set to abut against the third locking part 110b), reducing the structural complexity of the second locking mechanism 100b and simplifying the installation steps.

[0100] In this embodiment, the driving member and the reset member can drive the locking part in opposite directions to unlock and lock the locking part. By setting an elastic member in the reset member and setting the elastic deformation direction of the elastic member to be parallel to the movement direction of the locking part, the reset member is prevented from having force components in other directions, ensuring the strength of the force provided by the reset member. Furthermore, it is possible to ensure the elastic reset force while setting a small-sized elastic member, which is beneficial to reduce the overall volume of the locking mechanism and thus meet the design requirements of miniaturization of the gimbal.

[0101] In this embodiment, the technical solution is explained by taking the second locking mechanism 100b as an example, with the seventh position being the locked position and the eighth position being the unlocked position. Other possible solutions in the foregoing embodiments will not be described here.

[0102] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the second locking mechanism 100b includes a first base 140b. The first base 140b is used to support other components for mounting the second locking mechanism 100b and to connect with the stator 200 of the motor. The first base 140b has multiple assembly structures that can be structurally fitted with the stator 200 using fasteners (such as screws) to fix the first base 140b and the stator 200 together, preventing relative movement between them. In some optional embodiments, the first base 140b and the stator 200 can be an integrally formed structure; that is, the structure is directly designed based on the stator 200 in related technologies so that the stator 200 can fulfill the function of mounting other components of the second locking mechanism 100b.

[0103] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the third driving member 120b includes a third shape memory alloy wire. The two ends of the third shape memory alloy wire are connected to the first base 140b. The third shape memory alloy wire has a first bending position 121b, which is connected to the third locking part 110b. When the third shape memory alloy wire is in an electrically excited state, it can deform (such as changing its length), thereby changing the position of the first bending position 121b in space, and thus driving the third locking part 110b to move in a third direction.

[0104] For example, the position of the first bending position 121b can be adjusted by changing the length of the third shape memory wire. Referring to Figures 8 and 9, the third shape memory wire includes a first segment 124b and a second segment 125b connected together. The first segment 124b and the second segment 125b extend in different directions. The first bending position 121b is formed at the connection between the first segment 124b and the second segment 125b. The ends of the first segment 124b and the second segment 125b away from the first bending position 121b are respectively connected to the two ends of the third shape memory wire. When the third shape memory wire is not energized, it has a relatively long length. The first included angle formed between the first segment 124b and the second segment 125b is relatively small, and the first bending position 121b is relatively far away from the middle region of the stator 200. Referring to Figures 8 and 9, when the third shape memory alloy wire is energized, its length shortens. Since the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, with the position of the end of the first segment 124b and the second segment 125b away from the first bending position 121b (i.e., the fixed end) remaining unchanged, the bent portion of the third shape memory alloy wire (the first segment 124b and the second segment 125b) will be gradually straightened. That is, the angle between the first segment 124b and the second segment 125b increases (the extreme position is when the first segment 124b and the second segment 125b are parallel), so that the first bending position 121b moves toward the middle area of ​​the stator 200, thereby driving the third locking part 110b to move along the third direction to the unlocking position, thereby unlocking.

[0105] In some optional embodiments, referring to FIG9, the third shape memory alloy wire further includes a third segment 126b and a fourth segment 127b. The third segment 126b is connected to the first segment 124b, and the connection position of the third segment 126b and the first segment 124b forms a second bending position 122b. The fourth segment 127b is connected to the second segment 125b, and the connection position of the fourth segment 127b and the second segment 125b forms a third bending position 123b. Referring to FIG9, it can be understood that by repeatedly bending the third shape memory alloy wire to form the second bending position 122b and the third bending position 123b, a longer third shape memory alloy wire can be wound on the first base 140b. The longer the length of the third shape memory alloy wire, the higher the deformation linear velocity, thereby accelerating the speed at which the third locking part 110b is driven from the locked position to the unlocked position, improving unlocking efficiency. Furthermore, when a longer third shape memory alloy line is provided, only a small deformation of the third shape memory alloy line is needed to drive the third locking part 110b to the unlock position. That is, the deformation of the third shape memory alloy line is reduced each time it is unlocked, which helps to extend the service life of the shape memory alloy phase.

[0106] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the second reset member 130b includes an elastic element, which is a spring. The first end 131b of the spring is connected to the third locking part 110b, and the second end 132b of the spring is connected to the first base 140b. In one example, referring to Figure 8, the second reset member 130b can be a compression spring. The second end 132b of the compression spring is located on the side of the first end 131b away from the seventh position. When the third locking part 110b is in the locked position, there is a first preset distance between the first end 131b and the second end 132b. When the third locking part 110b moves from the locked position to the unlocked position in a third direction, the distance between the first end 131b and the second end 132b gradually decreases. In another example (not shown in the figure), the return spring can be a tension spring, with the second end 132b located on the side of the first end 131b facing the seventh position. When the locking part is in the locked position, there is a second preset distance between the first end 131b and the second end 132b. When the locking part moves from the locked position to the unlocked position along a third direction, the distance between the first end 131b and the second end 132b gradually increases.

[0107] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the first base 140b includes a base body and a first limiting groove 141b disposed on the base body. The extension direction of the first limiting groove 141b is parallel to a third direction (the opposite of the x-direction shown in Figure 8). A portion of the third locking part 110b is slidably disposed within the first limiting groove 141b. The third locking part 110b can slide along the first limiting groove 141b between a seventh position and an eighth position, that is, between a locked position and an unlocked position. In an optional embodiment, the side wall of the third locking part 110b or the inner wall of the first limiting groove 141b is provided with balls or rollers to reduce the friction between the third locking part 110b and the first limiting groove 141b, improve the unlocking and locking speed, and extend the service life of the second locking mechanism 100b. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the first limiting groove 141b is not excessively limited; the cross-sectional shape can be any one of a rectangle, a T-shape, or a trapezoid.

[0108] As shown in Figures 8 to 10, the base body of the first base 140b is also provided with a first mounting hole 142b. The first mounting hole 142b penetrates the base body along the thickness direction (z direction shown in Figure 8). The first mounting hole 142b is connected to the first limiting slide groove 141b. Part of the structure of the third locking part 110b and the second reset member 130b are disposed in the first mounting hole 142b. The first mounting hole 142b can limit the structure of the third locking part 110b located in the first mounting hole 142b to limit the third locking part 110b.

[0109] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 9 and 10, a second mounting hole 201 is provided on the stator 200 for mounting the base body. The second mounting hole 201 on the stator 200 can be used to mount the motor output shaft or signal line. The first mounting hole 142b exposes the second mounting hole 201. By providing the first mounting hole 142b in the base body to expose the second mounting hole 201, it is beneficial to perform wiring and set the motor output shaft.

[0110] As shown in Figure 9, the third locking part 110b includes a snap-fit ​​structure 111b and a connecting structure 112b connected together. The snap-fit ​​structure 111b is used to be disposed in the first limiting slide groove 141b and to form a sliding connection with the first limiting slide groove 141b. The connecting structure 112b is disposed in the first mounting hole 142b and is used to be connected to the third driving member 120b and the second reset member 130b.

[0111] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG9, the connecting structure 112b has a first boss 113b, which is used to cooperate with the sidewall of the first mounting hole 142b to limit the extreme movement positions of the third locking part 110b in the third and fourth directions, thereby preventing the third locking part 110b from separating from the base body. Exemplarily, referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the first boss 113b is formed by a portion of the surface of the connecting structure 112b extending along the y-direction shown in FIG. 8. It can be determined that when the third locking part 110b moves to the seventh position (refer to FIG. 10) along the fourth direction (x-direction shown in FIG. 10), the connecting structure 112b is located at the connection between the first mounting hole 142b and the first limiting groove 141b. Because the first boss 113b is provided such that the dimension of the connecting structure 112b in the y-direction is larger than the dimension of the first limiting groove 141b in the y-direction, the third locking part 110b can no longer continue to move along the fourth direction, thereby achieving limiting. This does not limit the technical solution of this disclosure. In some alternative embodiments, the first boss 113b is formed by a portion of the surface of the connecting structure 112b extending along the z direction shown in FIG8.

[0112] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG9, the connecting structure 112b includes a second boss 114b, and a slot is formed between the second boss 114b and the connecting structure 112b. The first bending position 121b of the third shape memory alloy wire is disposed in the slot. Exemplarily, referring to FIG9, a portion of the surface of the connecting structure 112b extends along the z-direction shown in FIG8 to form a first protrusion structure 115b, and a portion of the surface of the first protrusion structure 115b extends towards the x-direction shown in FIG8 to form a second protrusion structure 116b. The first protrusion structure 115b and the second protrusion structure 116b constitute the second boss 114b. Along the z-direction, the second protrusion structure 116b is located on the side of the latching structure 111b opposite to the stator 200, and there is a certain distance between the second protrusion structure 116b and the latching structure 111b to form a slot 117b. It can be determined that by setting the second boss 114b, the first bending position 121b of the third shape memory alloy wire can be connected to the third locking part 110b, and the connection method is simple, which simplifies the structure of the second locking mechanism 100b and facilitates assembly.

[0113] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG9, two first mounting structures 150b are provided on the side of the connecting structure 112b away from the snap-fit ​​structure 111b. The two first mounting structures 150b are spaced apart along the y-direction shown in FIG8, and the two first mounting structures 150b are respectively located on both sides of the second mounting hole 201. Two second mounting structures 160b are provided on the sidewall of the first mounting hole 142b opposite to the connecting structure 112b. The two second mounting structures 160b correspond one-to-one with the two first mounting structures 150b. The second reset member 130b includes two elastic members, and the two ends of the two elastic members are respectively connected to the corresponding first mounting structure 150b and second mounting structure 160b. It is understandable that the second mounting hole 201 of the stator 200 is used to set the motor output shaft or signal line. Therefore, by setting the two first mounting structures 150b to have a certain interval in the y direction, and setting the second mounting structure 160b in the first mounting hole 142b to correspond one-to-one with the first mounting structure 150b, the two elastic members of the second reset member 130b are set at intervals. The two elastic members set at intervals can not only avoid the motor output shaft and signal line, but also provide a balanced force for the third locking part 110b, so as to avoid the third locking part 110b being subjected to force on one side and affecting the smooth sliding of the third locking part 110b.

[0114] For example, referring to Figure 9, the first mounting structure 150b can be a column protruding from the side wall of the connecting structure 112b, and the second mounting structure 160b can be a column protruding from the inner wall of the first mounting hole 142b. The two ends of the spring are respectively fitted onto the first mounting structure 150b and the second mounting structure 160b for installation. The columnar first mounting structure 150b and the second mounting structure 160b can reliably fix the spring and also prevent the spring from being over-compressed. This does not limit the technical solution of this disclosure. In some optional embodiments, the first mounting structure 150b and the second mounting structure 160b can be grooves formed by recesses in the side walls, with the ends of the spring extending into the grooves for installation.

[0115] The second locking mechanism 100b is located outside the working angle range of the gimbal camera. Therefore, it can be determined that when the gimbal camera is woken up, only the third driving member 120b needs to provide a short driving force to the third locking part 110b. When the third locking part 110b is separated from the third mating part 301, rotating the rotor 300 will make the third locking part 110b of the second locking mechanism 100b no longer face the third mating part 301. That is, each time the gimbal camera is woken up, only the third driving member 120b needs to be powered on and then powered off once. There is no need to continuously power the driving member, which helps to extend the battery life of the gimbal camera.

[0116] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG5, the gimbal camera also includes a power button 33 and a controller. When the user performs a power on / off operation via the power button 33, the controller can issue lock and unlock commands, which will not be described in detail here.

[0117] According to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, as shown in FIG1, this embodiment provides a gimbal camera, which includes a gimbal and a shooting device 20 mounted on the gimbal. The gimbal includes at least one rotating shaft structure 10. Each rotating shaft structure 10 includes a stator 200, a rotor 300 and a locking mechanism. The rotor 300 is rotatable relative to the stator 200. The locking mechanism is configured to lock the rotor 300. When the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the locking mechanism moves linearly from the unlocked position to the locked position. When the gimbal camera switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the locking mechanism moves linearly from the locked position to the unlocked position to release the lock on the rotor 300.

[0118] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 12 to 17, the locking mechanism includes a third locking mechanism 100c, which is disposed on one of the stator 200 and the rotor 300. The other of the stator 200 and the rotor 300 is provided with a fourth mating part 302. The third locking mechanism 100c can cooperate with the fourth mating part 302 to lock the rotor 300 and the imaging device 20.

[0119] As shown in Figure 12, the third locking mechanism 100c includes a first transmission member 110c, a fourth driving member 120c, a third reset member 130c, and a fourth locking part 140c. The fourth driving member 120c is connected to the first transmission member 110c and can drive the first transmission member 110c to rotate in a fifth direction (e.g., the F1 direction shown in Figure 12). Exemplarily, the fourth driving member 120c can be a component that drives the first transmission member 110c through the cooperation of a motor, gears, connecting rods, etc., or a component that drives the first transmission member 110c by its own deformation, such as a shape memory alloy wire or a spring; no specific limitation is made in this regard.

[0120] The third reset member 130c is connected to the first transmission member 110c via a transmission connection. The third reset member 130c can drive the first transmission member 110c to rotate in a sixth direction (e.g., the F2 direction shown in Figure 12), which is opposite to the fifth direction. Exemplarily, the third reset member 130c may also be a component that drives the first transmission member 110c to rotate by the cooperation of a motor, gears, connecting rods, etc., or a component that drives the first transmission member 110c to rotate by its own deformation, such as a shape memory alloy wire or a spring. There is no specific limitation on this.

[0121] The fourth locking part 140c is connected to the first transmission member 110c and can move along with the rotation of the first transmission member 110c. For example, the fourth locking part 140c and the first transmission member 110c may abut against each other, so that when the first transmission member 110c rotates, it can drive the fourth locking part 140c to move. Alternatively, the fourth locking part 140c and the first transmission member 110c may be connected via a connecting rod, toothed joint, or the like, so that the fourth locking part 140c can move under the rotation of the first transmission member 110c.

[0122] Referring to Figure 14, the explanation will be based on an external rotor 300 motor. The third locking mechanism 100c is located on the internal stator 200, and the fourth mating part 302 is located on the rotor 300.

[0123] When the first transmission member 110c rotates in the fifth direction (e.g., direction F1 shown in Figures 12-13), it pushes the fourth locking part 140c to move linearly outward (e.g., direction F4 shown in Figures 12-13) until it reaches the locked position. At this time, the locking structure 141c of the fourth locking part 140c cooperates with the fourth mating part 302 on the rotor 300 to lock the rotor 300, thereby locking the motor. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the fourth locking part in the locked position. When the first transmission member 110c rotates in the sixth direction (e.g., direction F2 shown in Figures 12-13), it drives the fourth locking part 140c to move inward (e.g., direction F3 shown in Figures 12-13) to the unlocked position. At this time, the locking structure 141c of the fourth locking part 140c separates from the fourth mating part 302, thereby unlocking the motor. Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the fourth locking part in the locked position.

[0124] For example, the seventh direction refers to the radially outward direction along the rotation center of the first transmission member 110c, such as direction F4 in Figure 12-13, and the eighth direction is the radially inward direction along the rotation center of the first transmission member 110c, such as direction F3 in Figure 12-13. In this way, the rotational motion of the first transmission member 110c can be converted into the linear motion of the fourth locking part 140c, causing the fourth locking part 140c to perform reciprocating linear motion under the drive of the first transmission member 110c. It is understood that the seventh direction could also be direction F3 in the figure, and the eighth direction could also be direction F4 in the figure.

[0125] When the motor type is an inner rotor 300 motor, the fourth locking part 140c can lock the inner rotor 300 by moving radially inward (for example, in the F3 direction shown in Figure 12-13). The third locking mechanism 100c is provided on the outer stator 200, and the fourth mating part 302 is provided on the inner rotor 300.

[0126] When the first transmission member 110c rotates in the fifth direction (e.g., direction F1 shown in Figure 12-13), it pushes the fourth locking part 140c to move linearly outward (e.g., direction F4 shown in Figure 12-13) until it reaches the unlocked position. At this time, the locking structure 141c of the fourth locking part 140c moves away from the fourth mating part 302 on the inner rotor 300, thereby unlocking the motor. When the first transmission member 110c rotates in the sixth direction (e.g., direction F2 shown in Figure 12-13), it can drive the fourth locking part 140c to move inward (e.g., direction F3 shown in Figure 12-13) until it reaches the locked position. At this time, the locking structure 141c of the fourth locking part 140c cooperates with the fourth mating part 302 to restrict the rotation of the inner rotor 300, thereby locking the motor.

[0127] This configuration allows the motor's rotation range to be unrestricted by the location of the third locking mechanism 100c. It can be positioned either within the motor's working angle range or its non-working angle range without affecting rotation. This expands the motor's rotatable angle range, meeting users' demands for greater gimbal rotation angles and improving the user experience. Furthermore, the third locking mechanism 100c in this embodiment has a simple and compact structure, reducing its footprint within the gimbal and facilitating miniaturization.

[0128] When the gimbal switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the fourth locking part 140c moves to the locked position to lock the corresponding hinge structure 10. When the gimbal switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the fourth locking part 140c moves to the unlocked position to release the lock on the corresponding hinge structure 10. This achieves automatic unlocking when the gimbal is powered on and automatic locking when it is powered off, replacing manual unlocking and locking, effectively improving the ease of use of the gimbal and further enhancing the user experience.

[0129] It should be noted that the locking position refers to the position where the fourth locking part 140c cooperates with the rotor 300 or the stator 200 to restrict the rotation of the rotor 300, thereby locking the rotor 300. For example, a groove is provided on the rotor 300 or the stator 200, and part of the structure of the fourth locking part 140c in the locking position is located in the groove to restrict the rotation of the rotor 300.

[0130] The unlocked position refers to the position where the fourth locking part 140c is away from the rotor 300 or stator 200 to avoid interference between them. This position does not affect the rotation of the rotor 300, thus unlocking the rotor 300. For example, in the unlocked position, the fourth locking part 140c is retracted into the rotor 300 or stator 200 to disengage from the groove on the rotor 300 or stator 200, thereby avoiding interference with the rotation of the rotor 300.

[0131] In designing the relevant gimbal structure, the inventors discovered that the locking mechanism of existing gimbals is usually located outside the gimbal's working angle. Taking a three-axis gimbal as an example, a certain three-axis gimbal has a working angle range of -55 degrees to +145 degrees on the pitch axis, -300 degrees to +300 degrees on the translation axis, and -55 degrees to +55 degrees on the roll axis. This is because the existing locking structure 141c usually interferes with the rotor 300, so it is necessary to place the locking structure 141c outside the working angle. Therefore, the inventors further provide a solution in which the locking mechanism can be arbitrarily set within any rotation range of the gimbal.

[0132] For ease of understanding, taking Figures 12 and 13 as an example, with an external rotor 300 motor, the third locking mechanism 100c is disposed on the stator 200 of the motor, and the rotor 300 of the motor is locked by the third locking mechanism 100c. The fourth driving member 120c includes a fourth memory alloy wire, and the third reset member 130c includes a fifth memory alloy wire. The fourth memory alloy wire and the fifth memory alloy wire are respectively connected to the first transmission member 110c for transmission.

[0133] When the fourth shape memory alloy wire is in an excited state (e.g., energized), it undergoes contraction deformation, which in turn drives the first transmission member 110c to rotate in the fifth direction (e.g., the F1 direction shown in Figure 12-13). The rotation of the first transmission member 110c in the fifth direction can push the fourth locking part 140c to move in the seventh direction (e.g., the F4 direction shown in Figure 12-13) until it reaches the locked position. At this time, part of the structure of the fourth locking part 140c is located in the groove on the rotor 300 to restrict the rotation of the rotor 300, thereby achieving the locking of the motor.

[0134] When the fifth shape memory alloy wire is in an excited state (e.g., energized), it undergoes contraction deformation, which drives the first transmission member 110c to rotate in the sixth direction (e.g., the F2 direction shown in Figure 12-13). This causes the fourth locking part 140c to move in the eighth direction (e.g., the F3 direction shown in Figure 12-13) until it reaches the unlocked position. At this time, the fourth locking part 140c is located on the stator 200 and disengaged from the groove on the rotor 300 to avoid interfering with the rotation of the rotor 300, thereby unlocking the motor.

[0135] It should be noted that the above description takes locking the outer rotor 300 as an example. When the motor adopts the inner rotor 300 structure (that is, the rotor 300 is set at the center of the stator 200), the fourth locking part 140c will reach the unlocked position when it moves to the seventh direction (F4 direction in Figure 12-13) and will reach the locked position when it moves to the eighth direction (F3 direction in Figure 12-13).

[0136] This configuration allows the motor's rotation range to be unrestricted by the position of the third locking mechanism 100c. It can be set within the motor's working angle range or its non-working angle range without affecting the motor's rotation. This expands the motor's rotatable angle range, meeting users' needs for a larger gimbal rotation angle and thus improving the user experience.

[0137] It is understood that the above example illustrates how the third locking mechanism 100c is disposed on the stator 200 and cooperates with the rotor 300 to unlock or lock the motor. This third locking mechanism 100c can also be disposed on the rotor 300 and cooperate with the stator 200 to unlock or lock the motor. Furthermore, while the above embodiment uses radial locking of the rotor 300 as an example, the locking structure 141c can also lock the rotor 300 via axial movement; this embodiment does not limit this aspect.

[0138] In some embodiments of this application, the locking position includes one of the ninth position and the tenth position, and the unlocking position includes the other of the ninth position and the tenth position.

[0139] For example, an external rotor 300 motor will be used as an example. Referring to Figures 12 and 13, in the external rotor 300 motor, a third locking mechanism 100c is provided on the inner stator 200, and a fourth locking part 140c can lock the external rotor 300 by moving along the seventh direction (e.g., the F4 direction shown in Figures 12 and 13). At this time, the ninth position is the unlocked position, and the tenth position is the locked position.

[0140] In designing the relevant gimbal structure, the inventors discovered that the existing third locking mechanism 100c driven by shape memory alloy requires continuous power to the shape memory alloy during unlocking or locking to keep the third locking mechanism 100c in the locked and unlocked positions, which consumes a lot of electrical energy. Therefore, the inventors further provide a solution in which the third locking mechanism 100c can be held in the locked or unlocked position by a limiting mechanism. This solution only requires power to the shape memory alloy once during locking and unlocking, without continuously powering the shape memory alloy when the gimbal is in the unlocked or locked state. Referring to Figures 12-15, in some embodiments of this application, the first transmission member 110c is a plate-shaped structure, which includes a first side surface. Along the rotation direction of the first transmission member 110c, a first limiting part 111c and a second limiting part 112c are arranged adjacent to each other on the first side surface of the first transmission member 110c. For example, the first limiting part 111c can be a slot structure, a limiting baffle, or other structure that can provide a limiting function, and the second limiting part 112c can also be a slot structure, a limiting baffle, or other structure that can provide a limiting function; no specific limitation is made here. The fourth locking part 140c is always in contact with the first side surface of the first transmission member 110c. When the first transmission member 110c rotates, the fourth locking part 140c slides along the first side surface. When the fourth locking part 140c is in the ninth position, the first limiting part 111c holds the fourth locking part 140c in the ninth position. When the fourth locking part 140c is in the tenth position, the second limiting part 112c holds the fourth locking part 140c in the tenth position.

[0141] For example, an external rotor 300 motor will be used as an example. Referring to Figures 12 and 13, in the external rotor 300 motor, a third locking mechanism 100c is provided on the inner stator 200, and a fourth locking part 140c can lock the external rotor 300 by moving radially outward (e.g., in the F4 direction shown in Figures 12-13). At this time, the ninth position is the unlocked position, and the tenth position is the locked position.

[0142] Driven by the fourth drive member 120c, the first transmission member 110c rotates in the fifth direction (e.g., the F1 direction shown in Figure 12-13), pushing the fourth locking part 140c to move linearly in the seventh direction (e.g., the F4 direction shown in Figure 12-13) until it moves to the tenth position (i.e., the locked position) to lock the motor. At the same time, the fourth locking part 140c cooperates with the second limiting part 112c on the first transmission member 110c so that the third locking mechanism 100c can be kept in the locked state. Driven by the third reset member 130c, the first transmission member 110c rotates in the sixth direction (e.g., the F2 direction shown in Figure 12-13). The fourth locking part 140c moves linearly along the eighth direction (e.g., the F3 direction shown in Figure 12-13) under the drive of the first transmission member 110c until it moves to the ninth position (i.e., the unlocked position) to unlock the motor. At the same time, the fourth locking part 140c cooperates with the first limiting part 111c on the first transmission member 110c so that the third locking mechanism 100c can remain in the unlocked state.

[0143] When the motor type is an internal rotor 300 motor, the fourth locking part 140c can lock the internal rotor 300 by moving radially inward (for example, in the F3 direction shown in Figures 12 and 13). At this time, the ninth position is the locked position and the tenth position is the unlocked position. The specific movement pattern will not be described in detail.

[0144] This design, by setting the first limiting part 111c and the second limiting part 112c to keep the fourth locking part 140c in the locked and unlocked positions, instead of continuously energizing the fourth memory alloy wire and / or the fifth memory alloy wire to keep the fourth locking part 140c in the locked and unlocked positions, helps to reduce the power consumption of the gimbal, further reduces the power consumption of the device, and thus improves the user experience.

[0145] Referring to Figures 12-15, in some embodiments of this application, the first limiting part 111c is a first groove, and the second limiting part 112c is a second groove, with the depths of the first groove and the second groove being different. For example, the depth of the first groove is greater than the depth of the second groove, or the depth of the first groove is less than the depth of the second groove. This allows the fourth locking part 140c to unlock and lock the motor when it engages with the first and second grooves.

[0146] For example, the description will be given with the first groove having a greater depth than the second groove.

[0147] Referring to the foregoing, when the motor type is an external rotor 300 motor, as shown in Figures 12-13, the ninth position is the unlocked position and the tenth position is the locked position. Consequently, the fourth locking part 140c engages with the first groove to keep the motor in the unlocked state, and the fourth locking part 140c engages with the second groove to keep the motor in the locked state.

[0148] When the motor type is an internal rotor 300 motor, the ninth position is the locked position and the tenth position is the unlocked position. Then, the fourth locking part 140c cooperates with the first groove to keep the motor in the locked state, and the fourth locking part 140c cooperates with the second groove to keep the motor in the unlocked state.

[0149] This configuration simplifies the structure of the first limiting part 111c and the second limiting part 112c, making them easier to manufacture, while also reducing the space occupied by the third locking mechanism 100c on the gimbal's internal space.

[0150] In designing the relevant gimbal structure, the inventors discovered that the transmission efficiency of directly driving the first transmission component 110c to rotate by the driving component and the reset component is low, and a relatively complex limiting path needs to be designed to ensure that the first transmission component 110c can rotate along the fifth and sixth directions. Therefore, the inventors further provide a solution in which the third locking mechanism 100c can further improve the efficiency and accuracy of the driving component and the reset component in driving the first transmission component 110c.

[0151] Referring to Figures 15-17, in some embodiments of this application, the third locking mechanism 100c further includes a second transmission member 150c, which is connected to the first transmission member 110c and to the fourth driving member 120c and the third reset member 130c. The fourth driving member 120c can drive the second transmission member 150c to slide in the ninth direction (F5 direction in Figures 16-17), thereby causing the first transmission member 110c to rotate in the fifth direction, and the fourth locking part 140c moves to the tenth position following the rotation of the first transmission member 110c. The third reset member 130c can drive the second transmission member 150c to slide in the tenth direction (F6 direction in Figure 16-17), thereby driving the first transmission member 110c to rotate in the sixth direction. The fourth locking part 140c moves to the ninth position following the rotation of the first transmission member 110c. The sixth direction is opposite to the fifth direction, and the angle between the straight line containing the ninth and tenth directions and the straight line containing the seventh and eighth directions is greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°.

[0152] For example, the ninth direction (e.g., direction F5 in Figures 16-17) and the tenth direction (e.g., direction F6 in Figures 16-17) are radially outward from the rotation center of the first transmission member 110c, and the ninth and tenth directions are opposite. It is understood that the ninth direction could also be direction F6 in the figure, and the tenth direction could also be direction F5 in the figure. The straight line containing the movement direction of the second transmission member 150c forms an angle with the straight line containing the movement direction of the fourth locking part 140c, and the angle is, for example, 90°, 80°, 45°, etc., and is not 0°.

[0153] For example, an external rotor 300 motor will be used as an example. Referring to Figures 16-17, in the external rotor 300 motor, a third locking mechanism 100c is provided on the inner stator 200, and a fourth locking part 140c can lock the external rotor 300 by moving along the seventh direction (e.g., the F4 direction shown in Figures 16-17). At this time, the ninth position is the unlocked position, and the tenth position is the locked position.

[0154] Referring to Figures 15-17, when the fourth driving member 120c drives the second transmission member 150c to slide in the ninth direction (e.g., the F5 direction shown in Figures 16-17), thereby causing the first transmission member 110c to rotate in the fifth direction (e.g., the F1 direction shown in Figures 16-17), it pushes the fourth locking part 140c to move in the seventh direction (e.g., the F4 direction shown in Figures 16-17) until it reaches the locked position. In the locked position, the fourth locking part 140c can restrict the rotation of the motor rotor 300, thereby achieving the locking of the motor.

[0155] Referring to Figures 16-17, when the third reset member 130c drives the second transmission member 150c to slide in the tenth direction (e.g., direction F6 shown in Figure 16-17), causing the first transmission member 110c to rotate in the sixth direction (e.g., direction F2 shown in Figure 16-17), it drives the fourth locking part 140c to move in the eighth direction (e.g., direction F3 shown in Figure 16-17) until it reaches the unlocked position. In the unlocked position, the fourth locking part 140c will not interfere with the rotation of the rotor 300 of the motor, thereby unlocking the motor.

[0156] By setting the second transmission component 150c, the fourth driving component 120c and the third resetting component 130c can easily drive the first transmission component 110c, thereby simplifying the structure of the third locking mechanism 100c, facilitating production and processing, and improving the reliability of the third locking mechanism 100c. Furthermore, it can also improve the efficiency and accuracy of the driving and resetting components in driving the first transmission component 110c.

[0157] In some embodiments of this application, the fourth driving member 120c is a first shape memory alloy wire, and the third reset member 130c is a third reset spring. When the first shape memory alloy wire is in an excited state (e.g., energized), it undergoes contraction deformation, driving the second transmission member 150c to move in the ninth direction (e.g., the F5 direction shown in Figures 16-17), and further driving the first transmission member 110c to rotate in the fifth direction (e.g., the F1 direction shown in Figures 16-17). The fourth locking part 140c moves to the tenth position (e.g., the locked position) following the rotation of the first transmission member 110c. During this process, the third reset spring is in a compressed state, continuously supplying power to the first shape memory alloy wire to keep the fourth locking part 140c in the tenth position (e.g., the locked position). When the fourth locking part 140c needs to move to the ninth position (e.g., the unlocked position), the power supply to the first memory alloy wire is stopped. Under the thrust generated by the spring deformation, the second transmission member 150c is pushed to move in the tenth direction (e.g., the F6 direction shown in Figure 16-17), which in turn drives the first transmission member 110c to rotate in the sixth direction (e.g., the F2 direction shown in Figure 16-17). The fourth locking part 140c moves to the ninth position (e.g., the unlocked position) following the rotation of the first transmission member 110c.

[0158] Alternatively, the fourth driving component 120c can be a spring, and the third reset component 130c can be a shape memory alloy wire. The specific movement process will not be described in detail.

[0159] This configuration simplifies the structure of the fourth drive unit 120c and the third reset unit 130c, thereby reducing the space occupied by the third locking mechanism 100c inside the gimbal.

[0160] In another embodiment, referring to Figures 15-17, the fourth driving member 120c is a fourth shape memory alloy wire, and the third reset member 130c is a fifth shape memory alloy wire. When the fourth shape memory alloy wire is in an excited state (e.g., energized), it undergoes contraction deformation, driving the second transmission member 150c to move in the ninth direction (e.g., the F5 direction shown in Figures 16-17), thereby causing the first transmission member 110c to rotate in the fifth direction (e.g., the F1 direction shown in Figures 16-17). The fourth locking part 140c moves to the tenth position (e.g., the locked position) following the rotation of the first transmission member 110c. At this time, the fourth locking part 140c can be held in the tenth position by the second limiting part 112c without the fourth shape memory alloy wire being continuously energized. When the fifth shape memory alloy wire is in an excited state, the force generated by its deformation can drive the second transmission member 150c to slide in the tenth direction (e.g., the F6 direction shown in Figure 16-17), thereby driving the first transmission member 110c to rotate in the sixth direction (e.g., the F2 direction shown in Figure 16-17). The fourth locking part 140c moves to the ninth position (e.g., the unlocked position) following the rotation of the first transmission member 110c. At this time, the fourth locking part 140c can be held in the tenth position by the first limiting part 111c without the fifth shape memory alloy wire being continuously energized, thereby realizing the locking and unlocking of the motor.

[0161] With this design, when the motor needs to be unlocked or locked, only the fourth or fifth memory alloy wire needs to be energized once to move it to the ninth or tenth position. Then, the fourth locking part 140c and the first limiting part 111c or the second limiting part 112c on the first transmission member 110c keep the motor in the locked or unlocked state without the need to continuously supply power to the fourth driving member 120c or the third reset member 130c, thereby effectively reducing the power consumption of the gimbal.

[0162] Referring to Figures 15-17, in some embodiments of this application, the third locking mechanism 100c further includes a second base 160c and a cover plate 170c. The second base 160c includes a first surface and a second surface facing away from each other. A second limiting groove 162c is provided on the first surface of the second base 160c. A fourth locking part 140c is disposed in the second limiting groove 162c and can slide along the second limiting groove 162c between a ninth position and a tenth position. A first transmission member 110c is rotatably connected to the first surface of the second base 160c.

[0163] The cover plate 170c is fixedly connected to the first surface of the second base 160c. The fixed connection can be achieved through methods such as bonding, screw fastening, or snap-fitting. The cover plate 170c and the second base 160c form an accommodating space. The first transmission member 110c and part of the fourth locking part 140c are disposed within this accommodating space. The fourth driving member 120c and the third resetting member 130c are both fixed to the surface of the cover plate 170c facing away from the second base 160c. This facilitates the arrangement of the structural components while making the structure of the third locking mechanism 100c more compact, thereby further reducing the volume of the third locking mechanism 100c. It is understood that the fourth driving member 120c and the third resetting member 130c can also be fixed to the surface of the cover plate 170c facing the second base 160c or directly fixed to the second base 160c.

[0164] Referring to Figures 15-17, in some embodiments of this application, the second base 160c further includes a second side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface. For example, when the second base 160c is a columnar structure, the first surface and the second surface are the two bottom surfaces of the columnar structure, and the second side surface is the outer peripheral surface of the columnar structure. The second limiting groove 162c is disposed on the first surface and extends through the second surface and the second side surface.

[0165] The fourth locking part 140c includes a locking structure 141c, a sliding structure 142c, and an elastic component 143c. The locking structure 141c is disposed in the second limiting slide groove 162c and can slide along the second limiting slide groove 162c between the ninth position and the tenth position. Referring to the external rotor 300 motor shown in FIG. 15, the locking structure 141c is connected to the first end 131b of the sliding structure 142c. When the third locking mechanism 100c is in the unlocked state, the locking structure 141c is located in the second limiting slide groove 162c to avoid interfering with the rotation of the rotor 300, thereby enabling the motor to rotate. When the third locking mechanism 100c is in the locked state, the locking structure 141c is located in the second limiting slide groove 162c, and part of the locking structure 141c extends beyond the second side surface of the second limiting slide groove 162c to limit the rotor 300 and prevent the rotor 300 from rotating, thereby preventing the motor from rotating.

[0166] When the motor type is an internal rotor 300 motor, in the unlocked state, the locking structure 141c is located within the second limiting groove 162c to avoid interfering with the rotation of the internal rotor 300. In the locked state, the locking structure 141c is located within the second limiting groove 162c, and a portion of the locking structure 141c extends out of the second limiting groove 162c to restrict the rotation of the internal rotor 300.

[0167] A sliding structure 142c is disposed within the accommodating space and connected to the locking structure 141c. A third limiting portion is provided at one end of the sliding structure 142c facing the first transmission member 110c. The third limiting portion abuts against the first transmission member 110c and is used to cooperate with the first limiting portion 111c and the second limiting portion 112c. Exemplarily, the third limiting portion is a structure adapted to the first limiting portion 111c and the second limiting portion 112c. For example, when the first limiting portion 111c and the second limiting portion 112c are grooves, the third limiting portion is a protruding structure that can be inserted into the groove.

[0168] One end of the elastic component 143c is connected to the sliding structure 142c, and the other end is connected to the cover plate 170c or the second base 160c. The elastic component 143c is used to provide a preset elastic force, which enables the third limiting part to always abut against the first side surface of the first transmission member 110c.

[0169] This design simplifies the structure of the fourth locking part 140c, making it easier to manufacture and process.

[0170] Referring to Figures 15, 16, and 17, in some embodiments of this application, a first hollow structure 171c is provided on the cover plate 170c, and a limiting groove is provided on the inner wall surface of the first hollow structure 171c. The elastic component 143c includes a fixing structure 144c and a fifth return spring 145c. The fixing structure 144c is disposed on the surface of the sliding structure 142c facing the cover plate 170c, and at least a portion of the fixing structure 144c is located within the first hollow structure 171c. Exemplarily, it is possible that only a portion of the fixing structure 144c is located within the first hollow structure 171c, or that the entire fixing structure 144c is located within the first hollow structure 171c.

[0171] The fifth return spring 145c has its two ends fixed to the inner walls of the fixed structure 144c and the first hollow structure 171c, respectively. The fifth return spring 145c provides a preset elastic force to the fixed structure 144c, so that the third limiting part always abuts against the first side surface of the first transmission member 110c. When the fourth locking part 140c moves to the unlocked position, it can abut against the edge of the first hollow structure 171c for limiting. This design, on the one hand, facilitates the setting of the elastic component 143c and makes the structure of the third locking mechanism 100c more compact. On the other hand, the limiting groove 193 limits the movement of the fixed structure 144c, preventing damage such as breakage of the fixed structure 144c and the sliding structure 142c under the action of the fifth return spring 145c, thereby effectively improving the reliability of the third locking mechanism 100c.

[0172] Referring to Figures 15-17, in one embodiment of this application, a second hollow structure 172c is provided on the cover plate 170c, and the second transmission member 150c includes a sliding plate 151c, a first support portion 154c and a second support portion 155c. The sliding plate 151c is disposed on the side of the first transmission member 110c away from the second base 160c and is located inside the second hollow structure 172c. The fourth driving member 120c and the third resetting member 130c are both connected to the sliding plate 151c.

[0173] The first support portion 154c is disposed at the first end of the sliding plate 151c along the fifth direction and is slidably connected to the second base 160c. The second support portion 155c is disposed at the second end of the sliding plate 151c along the sixth direction and is slidably connected to the second base 160c. The first end and the second end of the sliding plate 151c are opposite to each other. The first transmission member 110c is located between the first support portion 154c and the second support portion 155c.

[0174] When the fourth driving member 120c drives the second transmission member 150c to slide in the ninth direction (e.g., the F5 direction shown in Figures 16-17), the second support part 155c abuts against the first transmission member 110c to push the first transmission member 110c to rotate in the fifth direction (e.g., the F1 direction shown in Figures 16-17) until the fourth locking part 140c moves to the tenth position (e.g., the locked position). At this time, the first support part 154c abuts against the inner wall surface of the second hollow structure 172c opposite to it.

[0175] When the third reset member 130c drives the second transmission member 150c to slide in the tenth direction (e.g., the F6 direction shown in Figures 16-17), the first support part 154c abuts against the first transmission member 110c to push the first transmission member 110c to rotate in the sixth direction (e.g., the F2 direction shown in Figures 16 and 17) until the fourth locking part 140c moves to the ninth position (e.g., the unlocked position). At this time, the second support part 155c abuts against the inner wall surface of the second hollow structure 172c opposite to it.

[0176] This configuration simplifies the structure of the second transmission component 150c, facilitating manufacturing, and also makes the third locking mechanism 100c more compact. Furthermore, when the fourth locking part 140c moves to the locked or unlocked position, the cooperation of the second hollow structure 172c and the second transmission component 150c provides a limiting effect, preventing the fourth locking part 140c from moving too far and failing to unlock or lock the third locking mechanism 100c, thus further improving the reliability of the third locking mechanism 100c.

[0177] Referring to Figures 14-15, in another embodiment, the fourth driving member 120C includes a fourth shape memory alloy wire, and the third reset member 130c includes a fifth shape memory alloy wire. The two ends of the fourth and fifth shape memory alloy wires are respectively fixed to the surface of the cover plate 170c facing away from the second base 160c via a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate. A first mating structure 152c abuts against the fourth shape memory alloy wire, so that when the fourth shape memory alloy wire is in an excited state, the first mating structure 152c drives the sliding of the second transmission member 150c. A second mating structure 153c abuts against the fifth shape memory alloy wire, so that when the fifth shape memory alloy wire is in an excited state, the second mating structure 153c drives the sliding of the second transmission member 150c. Exemplarily, the first mating structure 152c and the second mating structure 153c can be, for example, a snap-fit ​​form as shown in Figures 14-15, or a protruding block structure or a columnar structure, etc., without specific limitations. This facilitates the fourth driving member 120c and the third resetting member 130c to drive the second transmission member 150c.

[0178] Referring to Figures 14-15, in one embodiment of this application, the second base 160c is provided with a third mounting hole 161c. The third mounting hole 161c is used to mount an external component, such as the output shaft of a motor. The third mounting hole 161c can also serve as a wire passage hole for wiring. The cover plate 170c, the first transmission member 110c, and the second transmission member 150c are all provided with clearance cutouts to avoid external components. In this way, interference between the third locking mechanism 100c and the motor is avoided, effectively improving the reliability of motor operation while making the motor structure more compact.

[0179] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG5, the gimbal camera also includes a power button 33 and a controller. When the user performs a power on / off operation via the power button 33, the controller can issue lock and unlock commands, which will not be described in detail here.

[0180] According to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, as shown in FIG1, this embodiment provides a gimbal camera, which includes a gimbal and a shooting device 20 mounted on the gimbal. The gimbal includes at least one rotating shaft structure 10. Each rotating shaft structure 10 includes a stator 200, a rotor 300 and a locking mechanism. The rotor 300 is rotatable relative to the stator 200. The locking mechanism is configured to lock the rotor 300. When the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the locking mechanism moves linearly from the unlocked position to the locked position. When the gimbal camera switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the locking mechanism moves linearly from the locked position to the unlocked position to release the lock on the rotor 300.

[0181] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 18 and 19, the locking mechanism of the gimbal camera includes a fourth locking mechanism 100d. The fourth locking mechanism 100d is integrated into one of the stator 200 and the rotor 300 of the rotating shaft structure 10. The other of the stator 200 and the rotor 300 is provided with a fifth mating part 303. The fifth mating part 303 can cooperate with the fourth locking mechanism 100d to lock the rotor 300 and the stator 200.

[0182] As shown in Figures 18-19, the fourth locking mechanism 100d includes a fifth locking part 110d, a fifth driving member 120d, and a fourth resetting member 130d. The fifth driving member 120d and the fourth resetting member 130d are both connected to the fifth locking part 110d in a transmission manner. The fifth locking part 110d can move linearly between the unlocked position and the locked position under the action of the fifth driving member 120d and the fourth resetting member 130d.

[0183] The fifth locking part 110d has a magnetic part, which may be a structure made of ferromagnetic material or a magnet. The fifth driving member 120d is an electromagnet. When the fifth driving member 120d is energized, it can generate a magnetic field, thereby generating an attractive or repulsive force with the magnetic part (a repulsive force is generated when the like poles of the electromagnet and the magnetic part are opposite each other), thus driving the fifth locking part 110d to move.

[0184] In one example, referring to Figure 20, when the fifth drive member 120d is energized, it can generate an attractive force with the fifth locking part 110d. The fourth reset member 130d is a fourth reset spring that can provide an elastic force to the fifth locking part 110d. The fifth drive member 120d and the fourth reset member 130d are disposed on the same side of the fifth locking part 110d to ensure that the fifth drive member 120d and the fourth reset member 130d can provide forces to the fifth locking part 110d in opposite directions. Referring again to Figures 18-20, taking the eleventh position as the unlocked position and the twelfth position as the locked position as an example, when the fifth driving member 120d is energized, the force exerted by the fifth driving member 120d on the fifth locking part 110d is greater than the force exerted by the fourth reset member 130d on the fifth locking part 110d. Therefore, the fifth locking part 110d is magnetically attracted and moves from the twelfth position to the eleventh position along the eleventh direction, separating from the fourth mating part 302 to release the lock on the rotor 300. The eleventh direction is parallel to the rotation axis of the rotor 300. When the fifth driving member 120d is de-energized, the force exerted by the fourth reset member 130d on the fifth locking part 110d is greater than the force exerted by the fifth driving member 120d on the fifth locking part 110d. Therefore, the fifth locking part 110d is elastically moved from the twelfth position back to the eleventh position along the opposite direction of the eleventh direction (i.e., the twelfth direction), and forms a mating relationship with the fourth mating part 302 to lock the rotor 300. The principle behind the implementation scheme where the unlock position is the twelfth position and the lock position is the eleventh position is the same as the previous example, and will not be described in detail again.

[0185] In another example (not shown in the attached figure), when the fifth drive member is energized, it can generate a repulsive force with the fifth locking part. The fourth reset member is a fourth reset spring that can provide an elastic force to the fifth drive member. The fifth drive member and the fourth reset member are respectively disposed on both sides of the fifth locking part, so that the fifth drive member and the fourth reset member can provide force to the fifth locking part in opposite directions, so that the fifth locking part moves linearly between the unlocked position and the locked position.

[0186] As shown in Figure 19, the fifth locking portion 110d includes a locking portion body 111d, which is used to mount a fourth return spring. The fourth return spring is disposed between the locking portion body 111d and the fifth driving member 120d 110d. The locking portion body 111d is annular to expose the second mounting hole 201 on the stator 200 for mounting the motor output shaft or for wiring. The fifth locking portion 110d also includes a locking tongue structure 112d, which is formed by extending radially outward from a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the locking portion body 111d, thereby allowing it to extend into the third mating portion 301.

[0187] In one example, a plurality of third mounting structures 113d are provided on the side of the locking part body 111d facing the fifth driving member 120d. The plurality of third mounting structures 113d are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction along the rotation axis of the rotor 300. A plurality of fourth return springs (i.e., fourth return members 130d) are provided, and the plurality of fourth return springs are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of third mounting structures 113d. By providing a plurality of fourth return springs, the strength and balance of the force can be enhanced, and the force can be distributed among the plurality of fourth return springs, which is beneficial to extending the service life of the fourth return springs.

[0188] As shown in Figure 19, the fourth locking mechanism 100d includes a third base 140d, which is connected to the stator 200 and located on the side of the stator 200 away from the rotor 300. A receiving area is formed between the third base 140d and the stator 200. The fifth driving member 120d, the fourth resetting member 130d, and the fifth locking part 110d of the fifth locking mechanism are all disposed in the receiving area.

[0189] As shown in Figure 19, the fourth locking mechanism 100d also includes a locking nut 150d, which passes through the third base 140d, the fifth drive member 120d, and the locking body 111d and is connected to the stator 200. In one example, referring to Figures 18-20, the locking nut 150d passes through an annular hole in the middle region of the locking body 111d and is connected to the stator 200. In the gimbal camera provided in this embodiment, since the third base 140d, the fifth drive member 120d, the locking body 111d, and the stator 200 are stacked, the use of the locking nut 150d for assembly provides a convenient assembly effect.

[0190] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG5, the gimbal camera also includes a power button 33 and a controller. When the user performs a power on / off operation via the power button 33, the controller can issue lock and unlock commands, which will not be described in detail here.

[0191] The various embodiments or implementation methods described in this specification are presented in a progressive manner. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0192] In the description of this specification, references to the terms "embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," "some implementation," "illustrated implementation," "example," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with an implementation or example that are included in at least one implementation or example of this disclosure.

[0193] In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the terms used do not necessarily refer to the same implementation or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more implementations or examples.

[0194] In the description of this disclosure, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this disclosure.

[0195] It is understood that the terms "first," "second," etc., as used in this disclosure may be used to describe various structures, but these structures are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one structure from another.

[0196] In one or more accompanying drawings, the same elements are represented by similar reference numerals. For clarity, many parts in the drawings are not drawn to scale. Furthermore, certain well-known parts may not be shown. For simplicity, a structure obtained after several steps may be depicted in a single drawing. Many specific details of this disclosure, such as the structure, materials, dimensions, processing methods, and techniques of the devices, are described below to provide a clearer understanding of the disclosure. However, as those skilled in the art will understand, this disclosure may be implemented without adhering to these specific details.

[0197] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this disclosure, and are not intended to limit them. Although this disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure. Industrial applicability

[0198] The gimbal camera and gimbal provided in this embodiment can simultaneously unlock the rotor when the gimbal camera switches from the storage state to the power-on state, thus achieving power-on and unlocking; and when the gimbal camera switches from the power-on state to the storage state, the locking mechanism can simultaneously lock the rotor, thus achieving locking and storage, giving users a one-step operation experience and improving the product capabilities of the gimbal camera.

Claims

1. A gimbal camera, characterized in that, The gimbal camera includes a gimbal and a shooting device mounted on the gimbal; the gimbal includes at least one rotating structure, each of the rotating structures including: stator; Rotor, which rotates relative to the stator; A locking mechanism configured to lock the rotor; When the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the locking mechanism moves from the unlocked position to the locked position to lock the rotor; when the gimbal camera switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the locking mechanism moves from the locked position to the unlocked position to release the lock on the rotor.

2. The gimbal camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gimbal camera includes a handheld mechanism, and the rotating structure includes a roll axis structure and a pitch axis structure connected in sequence. The shooting device can rotate around a first axis under the driving action of the pitch axis structure, and the shooting device can rotate around a second axis under the driving action of the roll axis structure. When the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the roll axis structure is configured to drive the shooting device to rotate around the second axis until the first axis is aligned with the extension direction of the handheld mechanism; when the gimbal camera switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the roll axis structure is configured to drive the shooting device to rotate around the second axis until the first axis is perpendicular to the extension direction of the handheld mechanism.

3. The gimbal camera according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the pitch axis structure is configured to drive the shooting device to rotate around the first axis so that the lens of the shooting device faces the axis arm of the roll axis structure.

4. The gimbal camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage state includes one or both of the following: power off and standby.

5. The gimbal camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking mechanism includes a first locking mechanism, the first locking mechanism includes a first locking part, the rotor is provided with a first mating part that cooperates with the first locking part, the unlocking position includes a first position, and the locking position includes a second position; When the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the first locking part moves linearly from the first position to the second position along the first direction to connect with the first mating part; when the gimbal camera switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the first locking part moves linearly from the second position to the first position along the second direction to separate from the first mating part, wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite and parallel to each other.

6. The gimbal camera according to claim 5, characterized in that, The gimbal camera includes a handheld mechanism, and the line connecting the first position and the second position is consistent with the extension direction of the handheld mechanism.

7. The gimbal camera according to claim 6, characterized in that, The rotating shaft structure includes a heading shaft structure, which includes a heading shaft stator and a heading shaft rotor that are rotatably connected. The heading shaft stator is connected to the hand-held mechanism. The first locking part is disposed on the hand-held mechanism, and the first mating part is disposed on the heading shaft rotor.

8. The gimbal camera according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first locking mechanism includes a first driving member, which is slidably disposed on the handheld mechanism. The first driving member is movable between a third position and a fourth position, and is drively connected to the first locking part.

9. The gimbal camera according to claim 8, characterized in that, The gimbal camera also includes a trigger unit, and the first driving component can output a first signal and a second signal through the trigger unit; wherein, the first signal is used to control the gimbal camera to enter the storage state, and the second signal is used to control the gimbal camera to enter the power-on state.

10. The gimbal camera according to claim 9, characterized in that, As the first driving member moves from the third position to the fourth position, the triggering unit outputs the first signal to cause the gimbal camera to enter the storage state. As the first driving element moves from the fourth position to the third position, the triggering unit outputs the second signal to enable the gimbal camera to power on.

11. The gimbal camera according to claim 10, characterized in that, The line connecting the third and fourth positions is aligned with the extension direction of the handheld mechanism.

12. The gimbal camera according to claim 9, characterized in that, The triggering unit is disposed on the handheld mechanism.

13. The gimbal camera according to claim 9, characterized in that, The triggering unit includes at least one or more of the following: a micro switch, a Hall sensor, a capacitive sensor, and a photoelectric sensor.

14. The gimbal camera according to claim 8, characterized in that, The handheld mechanism includes a first storage cavity, the first locking part is slidably disposed in the first storage cavity, the first position is located inside the first storage cavity, and the second position is located outside the first storage cavity.

15. The gimbal camera according to claim 14, characterized in that, The first storage cavity is provided with a sliding groove, the first driving member slides with the sliding groove, and can move along the sliding groove between the third position and the fourth position.

16. The gimbal camera according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first locking mechanism includes a first limiting mechanism; when the first locking part moves to the first position, the first limiting mechanism holds the first locking part in the first position; when the first locking part moves to the second position, the first limiting mechanism holds the first locking part in the second position; and / or The first locking mechanism includes a second limiting mechanism; when the first driving member moves to the third position, the second limiting mechanism holds the first driving member in the third position; when the first driving member moves to the fourth position, the second limiting mechanism holds the first driving member in the fourth position.

17. The gimbal camera according to claim 16, characterized in that, The first limiting mechanism and / or the second limiting mechanism are disposed inside the first receiving cavity.

18. The gimbal camera according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first locking mechanism includes a second locking part, and the shooting device is provided with a second mating part that cooperates with the second locking part. The unlocking position includes a fifth position, and the locking position includes a sixth position. When the gimbal camera switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the first locking part moves from the first position to the second position along the first direction and connects with the first locking part, and the second locking part moves from the fifth position to the sixth position along the first direction and connects with the second locking part. When the gimbal camera switches from the storage state to the power-on state, the first locking part moves from the second position to the first position along the second direction and separates from the first cooperating part, and the second locking part moves from the sixth position to the fifth position along the second direction and separates from the second cooperating part.

19. The gimbal camera according to claim 18, characterized in that, The first locking part and the second locking part are arranged side by side, and the length of the second locking part is greater than that of the first locking part.

20. The gimbal camera of claim 19, wherein, The first locking mechanism includes a second driving member and a first reset member, wherein the second driving member and the first reset member are configured to be drively connected to the first locking part and the second locking part; When the gimbal camera switches from the power-on state to the storage state, the second driving member drives the first locking part to move from the first position to the second position along the first direction and connect with the first mating part. The second driving member also drives the second locking part to move from the fifth position to the sixth position along the first direction and connect with the second mating part. When the gimbal camera switches from the storage state to the power-on state, the first reset member drives the first locking part to move from the second position to the first position along the second direction, disengaging from the first mating part. The first reset member also drives the second locking part to move from the sixth position to the fifth position along the second direction, disengaging from the second mating part. or When the gimbal camera switches from the power-on state to the storage state, the first reset member drives the first locking part to move from the first position to the second position along the first direction and connect with the first mating part. The first reset member also drives the second locking part to move from the fifth position to the sixth position along the first direction and connect with the second mating part. When the gimbal camera switches from the storage state to the power-on state, the second driving member drives the first locking part to move from the second position to the first position along the second direction, separating from the first cooperating part. The second driving member also drives the second locking part to move from the sixth position to the fifth position along the second direction, separating from the second cooperating part.

21. The gimbal camera of claim 20, wherein, The first locking mechanism includes a fixed base, one end of the second driving member is connected to the fixed base, and the other end is connected to the first locking part and the second locking part. One end of the first reset member is connected to the fixed base, and the other end is connected to the first locking part and the second locking part.

22. The gimbal camera of claim 21, wherein, The first locking mechanism further includes a fixing part, the first end of the first locking part and the first end of the second locking part are connected to the fixing part, and the second driving member and the first reset member are connected to the fixing part.

23. The gimbal camera of claim 20, wherein, The handheld mechanism includes a second storage cavity, and the first locking part and the second locking part are both slidably disposed in the second storage cavity. The first position and the fifth position are located inside the second storage cavity, and the second position and the sixth position are located outside the second storage cavity.

24. The gimbal camera of claim 23, wherein, The second receiving cavity includes a first mounting slot and / or a second mounting slot, the second driving member is movably disposed in the first mounting slot, and / or the first reset member is disposed in the second mounting slot.

25. The gimbal camera of claim 20, wherein, The second driving component includes a first memory alloy wire; the first reset component includes a second memory alloy wire or a first reset spring.

26. The gimbal camera of claim 20, wherein, The second driving component includes a first shape memory alloy wire; the first reset component includes two first reset springs; the two first reset springs are distributed on both sides of the first shape memory alloy wire.

27. The gimbal camera of claim 1, wherein, The locking mechanism includes a second locking mechanism, wherein the second locking mechanism is provided on one of the stator and the rotor, and the other is provided with a third mating part. The second locking mechanism includes: Third locking part; The third driving member is connected to the third locking part in a transmission manner, and the third driving member is used to drive the third locking part to move from the seventh position to the eighth position along a third direction; The second reset member is convexly connected to the third locking part, and the second reset member is used to drive the third locking part to move from the eighth position to the seventh position along the fourth direction; The third direction is opposite to the fourth direction, and one of the seventh and eighth positions includes an unlock position and the other includes a lock position; The second reset member includes an elastic member, and the elastic deformation direction of the second reset member is consistent with the third or fourth direction.

28. The gimbal camera of claim 27, wherein, The locking mechanism includes a first base; The third driving component includes a third shape memory alloy wire, both ends of which are connected to the first base. The third shape memory alloy wire has a first bent position, which is connected to the third locking portion; and / or... The second reset member includes a second reset spring, one end of which is connected to the first base, and the other end of which is connected to the third locking part.

29. The gimbal camera of claim 28, wherein, The first base has a first limiting groove, and the third locking part is slidably disposed in the first limiting groove. The third locking part slides along the first limiting groove between the seventh position and the eighth position.

30. The gimbal camera of claim 29, wherein, The first base has a first mounting hole that penetrates the first base and communicates with the first limiting groove; A portion of the third locking part is disposed within the first mounting hole, and the second reset member is disposed within the first mounting hole.

31. The gimbal camera of claim 30, wherein, The third locking part includes: A snap-fit ​​structure is disposed within the first limiting slide groove and is slidably connected to the first limiting slide groove; A connecting structure is provided to the snap-fit ​​structure, the connecting structure is disposed in the first mounting hole, and the connecting structure is used to connect with the third driving member and the second reset member; The connection structure includes a first boss, which is used to mate with the sidewall of the first mounting hole.

32. The gimbal camera of claim 31, wherein, The connecting structure includes a second boss, and a slot is formed between the second boss and the connecting structure. The first bending position of the third shape memory alloy wire is located in the slot.

33. The gimbal camera of claim 31, wherein, Two first mounting structures are provided on the side of the connection structure away from the snap-fit ​​structure, and the two first mounting structures are spaced apart. The side wall of the first mounting hole opposite the connecting structure is provided with two second mounting structures, and the two second mounting structures correspond one-to-one with the two first mounting structures; The second reset component includes two second reset springs, with the two ends of the two second reset springs respectively connected to the corresponding first mounting structure and the second mounting structure.

34. The gimbal camera of claim 1, wherein, The locking mechanism includes a third locking mechanism, wherein the third locking mechanism is provided on one of the stator and the rotor, and the other is provided with a fourth mating part. The third locking mechanism includes: First transmission component; The fourth driving component is connected to the first transmission component in a transmission manner, and the fourth driving component is capable of driving the first transmission component to rotate in the fifth direction; The third reset component is connected to the first transmission component in a transmission manner. The third reset component can drive the first transmission component to rotate in the sixth direction. The fifth direction is opposite to the sixth direction. The fourth locking part is connected to the first transmission member and can move along with the rotation of the first transmission member; Specifically, when the first transmission member rotates in the fifth direction, it can drive the fourth locking part to move to the locked position; when the first transmission member rotates in the sixth direction, it can drive the fourth locking part to move to the unlocked position. Alternatively, when the first transmission member rotates in the fifth direction, it can drive the fourth locking part to move to the unlocked position; when the first transmission member rotates in the sixth direction, it can drive the fourth locking part to move to the locked position.

35. The gimbal camera of claim 34, wherein, The locked position includes one of the ninth position and the tenth position, and the unlocked position includes the other of the ninth position and the tenth position. When the first transmission member rotates in the fifth direction, the fourth locking part can move from the ninth position to the tenth position along the seventh direction. When the first transmission member rotates in the sixth direction, the fourth locking part can move from the tenth position to the ninth position along the eighth direction. The seventh direction is opposite to the eighth direction.

36. The gimbal camera of claim 35, wherein, The first transmission member is provided with a first limiting part and a second limiting part. When the fourth locking part moves to the ninth position, the fourth locking part cooperates with the first limiting part to keep the locking mechanism in a locked state; when the fourth locking part moves to the tenth position, the fourth locking part cooperates with the second limiting part to keep the locking mechanism in an unlocked state; or... When the fourth locking part moves to the ninth position, the fourth locking part cooperates with the first limiting part to keep the locking mechanism in the unlocked state; when the fourth locking part moves to the tenth position, the fourth locking part cooperates with the second limiting part to keep the locking mechanism in the locked state.

37. The gimbal camera of claim 36, wherein, The first limiting part is a first groove, and the second limiting part is a second groove. The depths of the first groove and the second groove are different.

38. The gimbal camera of claim 34, wherein, The fourth locking mechanism also includes: The second transmission member is connected to the first transmission member and to the fourth driving member and the third reset member. The fourth driving member can drive the second transmission member to slide in the ninth direction, thereby causing the first transmission member to rotate in the fifth direction. The third reset member can drive the second transmission member to slide in the tenth direction, thereby causing the first transmission member to rotate in the sixth direction. The ninth direction is opposite to the tenth direction; and / or, The fourth driving component is a fourth memory alloy wire; the third reset component is a fifth memory alloy wire or a third reset spring.

39. The gimbal camera of claim 36, wherein, The fourth locking mechanism also includes: The second base has a second limiting groove, the fourth locking part is disposed in the second limiting groove and can slide along the second limiting groove between the ninth position and the tenth position, and the first transmission member is rotatably connected to the second base; A cover plate is fixedly connected to the second base and forms an accommodating space with the second base. The first transmission member and part of the fourth locking part are disposed in the accommodating space. The fourth driving member and the third resetting member are both fixed to the cover plate or the second base.

40. The gimbal camera of claim 39, wherein, The fourth locking part includes: A locking structure is provided in the second limiting slide groove and can slide along the second limiting slide groove between the ninth position and the tenth position; A sliding structure is disposed within the accommodating space and connected to the locking structure. A third limiting part is provided at one end of the sliding structure facing the first transmission member. The third limiting part abuts against the first transmission member and is used to cooperate with the first limiting part and the second limiting part. An elastic component, one end of which is connected to the sliding structure, and the other end of which is connected to the cover plate or the second base.

41. The gimbal camera of claim 1, wherein, The locking mechanism includes a fourth locking mechanism, one of the stator and the rotor is provided with the fourth locking mechanism, and the other is provided with a fifth mating part. The unlocking position includes one of the eleventh position and the twelfth position, and the locking position includes the other of the eleventh position and the twelfth position. The fourth locking mechanism includes: The fifth locking part includes a magnetic part; The fifth driving member is connected to the fifth locking part in a transmission manner. When the fifth driving member is energized, it generates an attractive or repulsive force with the fifth locking part to drive the fifth locking part to move from the eleventh position to the twelfth position along the eleventh direction. The fourth reset member is connected to the fifth locking part in a transmission manner. The fourth reset member is used to drive the fifth locking part to move from the twelfth position to the eleventh position along the twelfth direction. The eleventh direction is opposite to the twelfth direction.

42. The gimbal camera of claim 41, wherein, The fourth reset member includes a fourth reset spring, one end of which is connected to the fifth driving member and the other end of which is connected to the fifth locking part.

43. The gimbal camera according to claim 42, characterized in that, The fifth locking part includes: The locking part body is connected to the fourth return spring; A locking tongue structure is connected to the main body of the locking part, and the locking tongue structure is formed by a radially outward extension of a portion of the outer peripheral wall of the main body of the locking part.

44. The gimbal camera according to claim 43, characterized in that, The locking part body has a plurality of third mounting structures on the side facing the fifth driving member; The fourth reset component includes multiple fourth reset springs, and each of the multiple fourth reset springs is configured in a one-to-one correspondence with a multiple of the third mounting structures.

45. The gimbal camera according to claim 41, characterized in that, The fourth locking mechanism includes a third base, which is connected to the stator and is disposed on the side of the stator away from the rotor. A receiving area is formed between the third base and the stator, and the fifth locking mechanism is disposed in the receiving area. or, The third base is connected to the rotor and is disposed on the side of the rotor away from the stator. A receiving area is formed between the third base and the rotor, and the fifth locking mechanism is disposed in the receiving area.

46. ​​The gimbal camera according to claim 41, characterized in that, The eleventh and twelfth directions are parallel to the rotor axis.

47. The gimbal camera according to claim 45, characterized in that, The fourth locking mechanism also includes a locking nut, which passes through the third base and is connected to the stator.

48. The gimbal camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gimbal camera also includes a power button and a controller. When the controller receives a storage command, the controller sends a locking command to the locking mechanism, so that the locking mechanism moves from the unlocked position to the locked position in a straight line. When the controller receives the power-on command, the controller sends an unlock command to the locking mechanism, so that the locking structure moves in a straight line from the locked position to the unlocked position.

49. A gimbal, the gimbal comprising at least one pivot structure, each pivot structure comprising: stator; Rotor, which rotates relative to the stator; A first locking mechanism is configured to lock the rotor and the stator from rotating relative to each other. A first driving member is connected to the first locking mechanism in a transmission manner, and the first driving member is used to drive the first locking mechanism to move between a locked position and an unlocked position. A triggering unit is provided, which can output a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal is used to control the gimbal to enter the storage state and the second signal is used to control the gimbal to enter the power-on state. During or after the first driving component drives the first locking mechanism to move from the unlocked position to the locked position, the triggering unit outputs a first signal to cause the gimbal to enter the storage state. During or after the first driving element drives the first locking mechanism to move from the locked position to the unlocked position, the triggering unit outputs a second signal to enable the gimbal to enter the power-on state.

50. The gimbal according to claim 49, characterized in that: The gimbal includes a handheld mechanism, and the pivot structure includes a roll axis structure and a pitch axis structure connected in sequence. The pitch axis structure is used to connect to the shooting device. The shooting device can rotate around a first axis under the driving action of the pitch axis structure, and the shooting device can rotate around a second axis under the driving action of the roll axis structure. When the gimbal switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the roll axis structure is configured to drive the shooting device to rotate around the second axis until the first axis is aligned with the extension direction of the handheld mechanism; when the gimbal switches from the retracted state to the powered-on state, the roll axis structure is configured to drive the shooting device to rotate around the second axis until the first axis is perpendicular to the extension direction of the handheld mechanism.

51. The gimbal according to claim 50, characterized in that: When the gimbal switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the pitch axis structure is configured to drive the shooting device to rotate around the first axis so that the lens of the shooting device faces the axis arm of the roll axis structure.

52. The gimbal according to claim 49, characterized in that: The gimbal includes a handheld mechanism, and the pivot structure includes a pitch axis structure, a roll axis structure, and a yaw axis structure connected in sequence. The yaw axis structure is connected to the handheld mechanism, and the first locking structure is configured to lock at least one of the pivot structures. When the gimbal switches from the powered-on state to the retracted state, the at least one rotating shaft structure rotates to the retracted angle; When the gimbal switches from the storage state to the power-on state, the at least one rotating shaft structure rotates to the power-on angle.

53. The gimbal according to claim 50, characterized in that, The first locking mechanism is configured to lock the pitch axis structure, and the first drive member is slidably disposed on the shaft arm of the roll axis structure.

54. The gimbal according to claim 50, characterized in that, The pivot structure includes a yaw axis structure connected to the roll axis structure, the first locking mechanism is configured to lock the roll axis structure, and the first drive member is slidably disposed on the shaft arm of the yaw axis structure.

55. The gimbal according to claim 50, characterized in that, The gimbal includes a yaw axis structure, which is connected to a roll axis mechanism and a handheld mechanism. The first locking mechanism is configured to lock the yaw axis structure, and the first drive member is slidably disposed on the handheld mechanism.

56. The gimbal according to claim 49, characterized in that, The storage state includes one or both of the following: power off state and standby state; The rotating shaft structure includes a motor, which is de-energized when the gimbal is in the retracted state.

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